How do you know Love? Part 1
by T.C.aka AA
Summary: Crossover BtVS Charmed. Slash love triangle between Buffy-Faith-Piper. Please send me reviews....I NEED it..COMPLETE
1. How do you know Love? Part 1

It had been over a month since Faith had broken out of the jail to save Angel's soul. Now without even wanting it, she was a part of the group. Yet, she felt like she was still in the jail, walking the routine every day. Her body was with these people, but her heart was  
  
still in Sunnydale, seeking answers. She still wanted to know why Buffy had actually driven that knife inside her.  
  
Of course, it was obvious to everyone that, there was no love lost between the two slayers, but Faith knew different and certainly Buffy knew different. Ever since the day one, when Faith had met Buffy, she had known that there was a connection between them. She had ignored it at first thinking it was just because of the fact  
  
that they were both slayers but both of them had known that it wasn't true. On very few occasions that they had become allies, the searing energy they shared between them was almost erotic. Faith knew the attraction was more than just sexual; it was a bonding that they both sought. But, Buffy had some how denied it. She pushed Faith away. Love wasn't a feeling Faith was familiar with. She herself was struggling with it, but to get a jolt of denial was all she needed to drive her to the other side; to drive her to Mayor. But, she had felt that Buffy would come for her. But, she never did. And, when she finally did, she drove a knife inside her to suck her life out. There wasn't a night that passed by, when Faith wasn't awakened by the emotionless eyes of Buffy staring at her when she felt the knife entering her skin. All she wanted from Buffy now, was to answer how she could do that to her? Or, may be for her to answer if the love she felt was truly just her imagination? Yes, she needed Buffy to answer that. She had to go to Sunnydale.  
  
She walked out one day, and kept walking till she reached the bus station. She didn't care if people worried about her; she just wasn't ready to talk to anyone, except she knew it was time Buffy talked to her. When she reached Sunnydale, she checked into a motel  
  
and waited for the night to fall. As the sun disappeared she waited patiently in the cemetery but Buffy wasn't there. She waited the next day, and the next. On the eighth day, finally she saw the Chosen One dusting a group of vampires. They looked pretty difficult as even Buffy took a while to dust the last one. But Faith didn't move she just watched. After she was done, Buffy approached her and with the same cold look in her eyes said, "You could have helped?" There was no `hi', there was no `hello', there even was no `how are you', there was just a question. Yes, that just showed how much  
  
Buffy must have thought about her when she was in coma or in the jail. Faith wondered if she was wrong to come after all. She just smirked and answered, "I thought you could take care of yourself?"  
  
"Yeah, but anyway, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked again.  
  
This time Faith couldn't take it any more. Somehow her idea of meeting Buffy was everything but just an unemotional exchange of questions and answers. She was a fool to have expected anything else. She had her answers though. She had been imagining that Buffy felt something for her. After all, that makes sense, that's why she  
  
wanted her dead with no guilt at all. If Buffy had felt anything then she would have never stabbed her. Now, Faith had to leave. She had to run. "I don't know." She blurted out as she just ran out of the cemetery. Buffy watched her run away with a baffled look.  
  
Faith didn't even bother to go to her room. She just stopped by one of the bar and started to drink. Alcohol always did good to her system. She walked out of the bar when the sun was just rising. As, she walked to her motel, she watched the sun rays and smiled. It  
  
didn't hurt to smile any more. Somehow knowing that Buffy never loved her made her feel better than thinking that the woman who loved her had tried to kill her. Yes, it was like a weight was lifted. She walked unsteadily towards her room. Someone was waiting for her  
  
at her door. She approached the still figure lying on the ground in front of her door and nudged her. It was Buffy.  
  
Buffy opened her eyes and smiled. Faith smirked looking down at the Chosen One who looked as crumbled as her clothes. She opened her door and walked in without saying a word. Buffy followed suit. This time Faith thought she would start the conversation.  
  
"So, to what do I owe this honor, B?"  
  
"Well, I could say I don't know and run away just like you." Buffy answered with a sly smile.  
  
thought Faith.  
  
"Sure you could do that." She also smiled as she answered.  
  
"But, I won't. I came here for you, just like you came back for me."  
  
Faith looked up. She stared at Buffy, and this time Buffy was looking at her too. Buffy approached her as she spoke, "Don't try to deny it Faith; I know you are here because of me. What you don't know is that I have been waiting for you." Buffy was right in front of Faith now. She lowered her eyes to stare at Faith's lips instead. She continued to speak but in a voice close to a whisper now.  
  
"When Willow told me that you had broken out of the jail, I thought that you would come right here. But you didn't, but I knew you would come back. So, I waited."  
  
Not being able to control herself any longer, Buffy lifted her hands to Faith's lips and slowly parted them with her thumb. She looked up just for a fraction of a second, just to make sure that what she was about to do was wanted by Faith too. Seeing that Faith's eyes just like her body was still, she lowered her lips. Just as the two slayers were about to be connected through their lips, Faith grabbed Buffy's hand from her lips and twisted it to her back, hurting the blond slayer enough to make her head jerk backwards. "Why would I come back for you B? Or better yet answer me this, Ms. Summers why were you waiting for me?" Buffy didn't smile or laugh at Faith this time. She looked at Faith with a serious expression.  
  
"Because I love you." Buffy said staring right into Faith's eyes. Faith waited for a bit, not knowing how to react. She just stared. She had thought that those words were her answer. Those words would somehow fill her with happiness. But it didn't. Instead, she found herself more infuriated than ever. She pulled Buffy to her and forced her mouth on hers. The kiss that Faith had waited for all her life was now nothing more than her punching bag. When Faiths tongue was assaulting her mouth  
  
rather than sharing a passion, Buffy knew that Faith's reaction wasn't exactly what she had expected. But she was willing to endure it. Faith continued, even when she could feel that Buffy needed air she didn't let go. Not, till she was done. And when she finally let go of Buffy, she only let her loose for a second to see if Buffy would run away, but she didn't. So, Faith decided to go further, she pushed Buffy to the bed and quickly got hold of her hands and gripped it tight above of her head. Faith grabbed the pillowcase and used it to tie Buffy's hands above her head. Faith ravaged Buffy's body with her hands. She tore Buffy's top. She squeezed her breasts with so much pressure that she could see that she was bruising the slayer. But Buffy didn't flinch. She raised Buffy's body to bring her nipples to her mouth. Faith pushed her leg between hers. She continued to assault Buffy's body with her mouth, with her hands and even with her body thrusting against Buffy with all her force. It was only when she saw blood on Buffy's bruised neck that she finally realized how much pain she was causing. She stopped, not knowing what had come over her. She loosened her grip and just looked down. Buffy quickly slipped her hands out and held Faith's face and looked into her eyes so that she could make the pain that Faith felt inside her go away. Faith knew that what Buffy felt for her was genuine like it had always been. So, for the first time in her life, she let go of her anger, of her walls and pulled Buffy into a kiss that they both deserved. The kiss soon melted into the heat of their passions as their bodies entwined and infused until they climaxed in unison with the declaration of the greatest feeling there is in the world, love. When Faith woke up, Buffy was wrapped around her. She smiled and slowly slid out of the bed. She gathered her little stuff that she had brought along and got dressed. She was careful not to wake the  
  
sleeping slayer. She kissed Buffy lightly on her lips before she walked out of the room.  
  
Within few minutes she found herself once again in front of the ticket counter of a bus station. Only this time she didn't know her destination. She dug her pocket for money and spread them in front of the clerk, "How far will this much get me?"  
  
The clerk counted the money and replied, "Not too far, where do you want to go?"  
  
"Anywhere but here."  
  
"Well, I have a ticket to San Francisco that I printed by mistake. I could give it to you for half the price since the bus leaves in 10 minutes, and you'll still have money left for the trip. That is if this is all the money you have."  
  
"San Francisco it is then."  
  
Ten minutes later she was on the bus. She lifted her top to reveal her scar and whispered to herself, "You are no different than everyone else in my life Buffy Summers."  
  
--------------------------------------------------  
  
Piper found herself once again standing in front of Pru's grave. She wished she could cry, but her tears had dried a long time ago. There was nothing she could do now, except stare at the name craved in stone. It amazed her how life could move on so easily when someone you loved had passed. When they had found Paige and the charmed ones were re united everything seemed to go back to normal. But, it was never normal again to Piper. When Piper divorced Leo, Phoebe knew that the change in Piper was irreversible. She had tried her best, but now Piper just chose to be  
  
either at work or was available whenever a demon was to be hunted other than that Piper just lived in her own world. Even though her heart seemed frozen, she didn't neglect her duties. She was an ideal elder sister, just as Pru was. She took care of things and even welcomed Paige into Pru's old room. Her power as a witch grew more, never once hesitated to save an innocent. Yes, on the outside life seemed to have gone back to normal.  
  
Except every once in a while, she needed a break from her own life. Like she needed to get out of her skin. To do just that, she had found herself a little bar, a little outside the noise of the city. It was a small bar where people minded their own business. She liked  
  
it there. She became regular within a short period of time, yet no one bothered her. She didn't drink the night away, rather she just spent them watching the other patrons do that. It felt good to be on the sidelines. It felt good to be nobody.  
  
But, she was the charmed one how can she ever have a safe haven of her own. It had to be plagued by demons, just like her family was. So, it wasn't too long before when she was walking home from her little bar that she found herself being followed. She turned around and there was no one. She shook her head thinking that may be she drank too much that night, and turned back around. To her horror she felt two strong hands separating her head and her shoulder and cold breath nearing her neck. Before she could even react, someone pushed that thing to the ground taking her down as well. When she gained her conscious, she saw a woman fighting a man double her size. Piper didn't know which one was her attacker and which one was her savoir. Of course it made sense to assume that the woman was not the attacker but with the strength that she was fighting the man, and with everything that Piper had seen in her life, hell that woman  
  
could have been the one trying to take a bite out of her neck.  
  
Just then the man threw the woman on the wall and turned right back around to face Piper. She thought Before she could even finish her thoughts he was right on top of her. She raised her hands and froze him. Just then he turned to ashes, and the woman appeared behind him  
  
with some kind of a wooden stick that she was still holding in her hands. Piper completed her thought.  
  
"Are you ok?" The woman asked.  
  
"Yeah, fine. Thank you." Piper replied as she tried to get up but then was about to fall right back down when the woman swept her up.  
  
"You must have twisted your ankle. Where do you live? Do you want me to drop you? Get you a cab?" She asked again.  
  
Piper hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was show up wounded at her doorstep and for Phoebe to call Leo. Then there would rise the question of where she had gone that she didn't want to answer. Then she would have to tell them about the vampire and then her trips to her own little private escape would have to stop; as they would decide that it was too dangerous. she closed her eyes and pondered to herself.  
  
"Do you even remember where you need to be Lady?" The dark haired woman asked with genuine concern.  
  
Piper just stared and closed her eyes, as she still had no answer. Faith at this point just swept her into her arms and walked towards her home. She thought as she entered the small apartment that she had been calling home for the last four months. 


	2. How do you know Love? Part 2

The next morning Piper awakened to an empty room, empty as in a literal sense. The room consisted of nothing but the bed she was lying on and a punching bag towards the other end of the room. She could see some kitchen counter tops and cabinets but it looked like the unused part of the studio apartment. Her first thought was that she was kidnapped. After all why wouldn't she think that? The last thing that she remembered being carried by a very strong woman, and she had just dozed off. How does one just fall asleep so soundly unless she was put under some spell? Yes, she figured the woman cast some spell on her and brought her here. She must be some powerful witch or demon or whatever she was, for her to cast a spell on one of the Charmed Ones and for Leo not to detect that she was in trouble. She closed her eyes trying to assess how deep in trouble she was when the door opened.  
  
Faith walked in with coffee in her hand, unaware of the turmoil in head of her pretty victim.  
  
"Are you still asleep?" She asked.  
  
"Who are you? Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?" Piper fired away before she could even get herself into a sitting position.  
  
Faith interrupted her immediately, "Hey hey hey.. Chill. You act as though I kidnapped you."  
  
"You didn't?"  
  
"Of course not, you just fainted. I think. So, I just brought you here."  
  
"This is your home?" Piper asked with genuine disbelieve.  
  
"Yeah .why, the little lady doesn't approve?" Faith asked in her typical way.  
  
"Well, I don't know if you noticed. It's empty." Piper asked raising her eyebrows.  
  
"Yeah just like my life. But hey it fulfills the basic requirements for home."  
  
"That being.."  
  
"Bed to relax and punching bag when you are not relaxed."  
  
Faith's answer made them both smile. It had been a while that both the women had smiled at a light joke.  
  
"I got you coffee." Faith handed the beauty in her bed one of the cup.  
  
"Oh thank you. I guess I would have to move to let you sit seeing that there is nowhere else to sit." Faith sat on the edge of the bed smiling and letting the insult about her decoration pass.  
  
"Now do you remember where you live, so.. like a true Hero I can ensure your safety?" She said instead.  
  
"Hero huh?" Piper raised her eyebrows like she found the statement hard to believe.  
  
Faith looked directly at the beautiful woman in her bed with a little naughty smile and said, "Yeah, if you don't remember I saved your ass last night."  
  
Piper smiled not only because of the words Faith used, but because she felt very comfortable with the woman who now held her total attention.  
  
"You sure did. My hero.umm.?"  
  
"Faith" The slayer completed the sentence.  
  
"My hero Faith. Thank you." Piper replied satisfied.  
  
"You are welcome.?" Faith decided to imitate her companion.  
  
"Piper." The witch felt comfortable with their introduction.  
  
"You are welcome Piper. So babe, when do you plan on leaving me?"  
  
"You certainly are a good host, I must say. You're already throwing me out?"  
  
"Well, I certainly can't keep you, even though you are beautiful."  
  
Piper blushed realizing that she was being flirted at and rejected at the same time. Of course she knew how to flirt back.  
  
"Why not?" She asked peering for an answer.  
  
"Then it wouldn't be empty no more." Faith answered, little more serious that she had been.  
  
"Isn't that a good thing?" Piper sipped on her coffee but kept her eyes on the woman who certainly had wounds to hide.  
  
"I like it empty. It's easier; less maintenance." Faith replied trying to give her best carefree look.  
  
Piper was finding herself getting more and more into this woman even though she couldn't come up with a single reason why her heart was governing her action and her mind refused to intervene. She moved really close to Faith and looked into her eyes.  
  
"Sometimes, you should try things on, just for the size."  
  
What she had meant by that, Piper herself didn't know. But it sure brought a smile on the dark haired slayers face. Piper certainly liked that.  
  
Eventually Piper did leave, but she knew that she would be back again. She had found her smile.  
  
Buffy sat staring at one more sunrise. It had been months since Faith had waited for her in that cemetery, right by that grave. And now it was her routine, no matter where she had to patrol, she always came back to that particular spot hoping that once again she would see her love lurking in the dark. But, like every other day, only the sun rose.  
  
Buffy had never understood why Faith had left her that evening, especially when Buffy had finally gathered enough courage to confess her feelings to her. Certainly it wasn't the first time she had been just a one night stand to someone she had thought she was in love with, but she was so sure with Faith it was different. There was Angel who turned evil after she gave her virginity to him. Then that guy in college, for whom she was just sex. But, it was different with Faith. It certainly was. There was no denying how much of a connection they had between them.  
  
When they had finally given into their desire, the unison wasn't just sexual, it was just divine. Every time Buffy closed her eyes, she could still feel the orgasm that had transported both of them to a plain where they were a single entity. Their breath, their pulse, their heart fusing into one and they were one. Like it was meant to be. Certainly she couldn't have been the only one who felt that. Faith should have felt it too. So, why had she left? Buffy had no answers but she knew that she needed to find them. She needed to find Faith.  
  
She walked to the Magic Box like everyday to have coffee with the Scoobies. Willow and Tara were already there. She sat right beside them. As, she sipped the coffee, a chill entered her heart.  
  
"Willow", she said startling herself along with her best friend, "Did Angel call? Has he found out where Faith is yet?"  
  
Willow put her hand on Buffy's trying to sooth her pain, "No, sweetie he hasn't. But they are doing their best, just like we are."  
  
"I know but it's been too long. And I have to find her. I have to find her soon."  
  
"Why? What is wrong? I mean we know we have to find her. I know why you have to find her. But, why soon? Why."  
  
"Willow, stop. Something is not right." Buffy's voice had an urgency that Willow had not noticed before, so she was quick to ask, "What is not right?"  
  
"It doesn't feel empty any more. I have to find her, now." 


	3. How do you know Love? Part 3

Faith had no idea why she was walking into P3 but she did. All she had known ever since Piper left was that she missed the light feeling with her. Yes, light was the perfect word for it. For months she had walked with Buffy in her thoughts, it sure as hell felt nice when she was able to share light laughter with nothing attached. When she reached the bar she ordered her drink and searched for the beautiful woman that was in her bed just that morning.  
  
When she saw her search smiling and walking towards her, she felt that lightness again.  
  
"So, you actually came." Piper said unable to stop smiling.  
  
"You know me, I go anywhere for a free drink. You did say drink would be free right?"  
  
Piper just grinned. She hadn't grinned so much since she had first met Leo. But, after Pru was gone even Leo was not able to make her smile like she didn't have a care in the world. And that's how she felt at that moment. Even as the music blasted in the background both the women who had scars on their heart found themselves walking towards each other finding a healing relief with each other and forming closeness.  
  
It wasn't long before Faith was a regular at P3 and Piper found herself buying stuff to fill Faith's once empty apartment. At first Faith had resisted when Piper got her gifts that she needed like furniture to display; but Faith had eventually given up.  
  
When Faith finally pushed the bed towards the window, she looked up just to catch the eldest Charmed One nodding her head in disapproval.  
  
"I said more to your left Faith not right. Do you know which your left is?"  
  
This is a very interesting place to put this.. ( For the purpose of this story:  
Tara does not die. I hated it when they killed her so I kept her alive.  
First does come and everything will happen at a pace I write not as in  
the actual series. If I miss out any event then it's because it didn't  
fit into my concept of the story.  
Kennedy will still come as a potential slayer.  
Willow never tried to destroy the world. But she did turn evil due to  
too much magic and did go to coven in England to recover, when she  
came back Tara and the gang welcomed her back. This happened way  
before Faith escaped from the jail.  
Giles went to England way before Faith escaped from jail. Now he  
returns as the story continues )  
  
"Buffy it's the First." Mr. Giles informed the Slayer and her friends as soon as they finished exchanging the pleasantries after his return. "That's why the council sent me back. The First is back and more powerful than ever."  
  
"I beat him once, I'll beat him again." Buffy replied not aware of the gravity that Mr. Giles was trying to convey to her.  
  
"I am amazed at your attitude Buffy. The First is not to be taken lightly. You of all the people should know that."  
  
"I do, but that doesn't mean the First is not here. It's me against him. Save the world routine. I get it."  
  
Mr. Giles was taken aback by her response. This certainly was not the Buffy Summers that he had left behind. He looked around the room for answer from other Scoobies. Sensing his puzzled look, Willow decided to shed some light.  
  
"Well, Mr. Giles. Things have been a little different around here lately. But we are still all for saving the world. Right. We are."  
  
Mr. Giles took off his glasses and decided to continue.  
  
"All right then, that is a good thing. I must say. Its just that the council and I feel that this time it really could be the big one. So, we have decided to get some help in the form of potential slayers."  
  
Buffy: "What potential slayers?"  
  
Giles: "Well as you know that there are many potential slayers  
but only one is called for one generation. So, we are bringing here  
every potential slayer we can find so that well.."  
  
Anya: "If Buffy gets killed then you have another slayer to finish the  
job. Am I right?"  
  
This little insight from his girlfriend certainly did not hit the  
right cord inside Xander.  
  
"Is that true Giles. Are you planning on replacing Buffy?"  
  
Giles: "Well, Xander you have to try and see the bigger picture  
here. First is trying to open the hellmouth here. If we don't stop  
him."  
  
"I understand." Buffy sternly stated, trying to put a stop to her  
friends' concerns.  
  
Not being able to look at anyone, Giles still continued.  
  
"Council is sending in the first group of girls tomorrow. The First is  
already here so we have to be prepared. We have to prepare the girls."  
  
Willow: "Prepare them how?"  
Giles: " Well teach them, sort of."  
  
Tara: "You mean train them."  
  
Giles: "Yes."  
  
Buffy: "The more the merrier I guess. Anymore good news Giles, apart  
from me having to baby sit teenagers and wait for my death."  
  
Giles: "One more thing. We need to get Faith here; her being the other  
slayer and all."  
  
Xander: "Good luck with that. We have been looking for her for nearly  
six months now. No one knows where she is."  
  
Giles: "Oh! The council has located her. She is in San  
Francisco."  
  
Buffy got up immediately. "I am going to San Francisco."  
  
"I am beat. I got to get home and crash."  
  
"Come on Faith I thought you were going to wait till I closed up."  
  
"Not tonight. I think I am actually drunk."  
  
"Then wait, have one more drink, get drunk and I'll drop you home."  
  
"No, you are not crashing in my place again. I am in no mood to sleep in that thing called couch that you got me."  
  
"We can always sleep in the same bed, I mean after all we both are  
women you know."  
  
"And two women, in bed together! What Ms. Perfect. you have no idea what might happen?"  
  
"You got a dirty mind Faith."  
  
"Sometimes the way you look at me, I am certain we got like minds Ms.  
Perfect."  
  
"Ok, its official, you are drunk. Get out of here."  
  
"Fine I'll see ya. You are welcome to crash at my place; just don't complain that I didn't warn you."  
  
Faith walked out with a grin in her face. Just as she was walking out the door she bumped into Phoebe. In a flash Phoebe saw a demon attacking Faith right in P3's parking lot.  
  
"Paige, our demon is going to attack that woman. I just got the premonition."  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
"Ok, I'll go and try and defend her, you go and get Piper so that we can vanquish the demon."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Phoebe walked out as Paige rushed inside to find Piper.  
  
"Ok, trooper slow down, what's the rush."  
  
"Piper, the demon that we thought we had vanquished this morning, is not gone."  
  
"What do you mean it's not gone? We said the spell and it went poof remember?"  
  
"We kind a used the wrong spell, we assumed it to be a wrong demon, and instead of vanquishing it, we made it invisible."  
  
"What? I thought you had got the hang of writing the spell. How do we find it now?"  
  
"Phoebe just got a premonition that it is going to attack this woman in our parking lot right about now so let's just go and do this again."  
  
"What woman?"  
  
"The woman that was just walking out the door."  
  
"Oh my god Faith. Hurry hurry move lets go."  
  
Phoebe was just watching Faith. She appeared to be struggling with herself. As, soon as Piper saw her sister not helping Faith, she just hit her.  
  
"Why aren't you helping?"  
  
"Look at that woman. She is strong."  
  
"Stop it. Get the spell fast, its hurting her."  
  
They chanted the spell as Faith saw them from the corner of her eyes, and the force that was holding her just vanished. She had some injuries but more than that she wanted to find out what had just happened. Her eyes were definitely not leaving Piper's as the three sisters approached her. "Faith before you even start to ask anything, let me just start by saying I have a very good explanation."  
  
"You are a witch." It wasn't a question; Faith just stated it.  
  
"Witch, what do you mean a witch?" Paige started trying to cover their secret, but Piper stopped her.  
  
"It's ok Paige. Let me help you with your hurt. I could call a friend who could take care of it for you." Piper moved closer holding Faith's injured arm. "That's ok. I heal fast." Faith making sure the wound didn't distract them from the real question on hand.  
  
Phoebe and Paige could only stare at each other when they saw Piper bestow all her affection and concern on Faith. Before they could even realize what was happening, Piper had already told Faith about the Charmed Ones and was taking her to the manor while the two sisters stayed behind to close the club. 


	4. How do you know Love? Part 4

Buffy's mind was racing faster than the wheels of her car. There were a million and one questions and a million and one answers that were going through her brain. There were scenarios that made her heart stop and then there were others that just caused goose bumps to pop up all over her. Regardless of whatever was playing or replaying in her head Buffy felt uneasy. She was becoming overwhelmed with feelings of extreme urgency.  
  
Willow certainly was happy for her friend, who had waited for months to find Faith. But, what worried her more than anything was the little needle on the speedometer, which was climbing higher than she had ever seen before in her life. She didn't want to interrupt Buffy and her thoughts but when her lover squeezed her hand in fear over the same concern she knew she had to speak up.  
  
"Buffy why don't you let me drive and you can rest a while."  
  
"Huh! No, that's ok. I am fine Willow." Buffy replied not even giving a thought about Willows words.  
  
"Then may be you can give the gas peddle a break. After all, I think reaching San Francisco in one piece should be one of our unsaid goals too." Xander added, who was as aware of the needle as Willow.  
  
"Oh! I am sorry guys, I'll slow down."  
  
"Slow down."  
  
Piper whispered into the ear of the slayer whose one hand was inside Piper's blouse gently massaging her breasts, and the other hand slipped inside her pants, cupping her buttocks and the slayer was gently grinding herself against her own heat between the eldest Charmed One's legs. Faith's mouth was indulging in the taste of Piper's eager neck and her earlobes. Every cell in their body was getting more and more aroused with every contact between any parts of their skin. Her body's urgency made Faith ignore the witch's plea till the Haliwell legs could not hold her upright anymore and she had to make another attempt to pause her lover.  
  
"Faith, the bed, please." She pleaded once again but louder.  
  
This did stop Faith, and she stared into the desire intoxicated dark eyes of the witch under her spell. Faith traced the side of her face with the back of her fingers as Piper closed her eyes to take in the full effect of that simple touch. Piper's every particle in her body followed the fingers as they moved below her face, down her neck and stopped right on rim of her blouse. The Charmed One kept her eyes closed hoping that the fingers would continue their journey down.  
  
"I hope the top is not irreplaceable." Faith teased  
  
Before she could even acknowledge the words, she felt a slight tug and her blouse was in pieces leaving her upper body bare except her black satin bra. Piper opened her eyes shocked to see a smiling slayer who was already undoing even that piece of her clothing. She started to speak to express her surprise but was silenced by Faith's capturing lips.  
  
She lifted the older woman slowly, ss Piper rose, she instinctively wrapped her legs around Faith's waist whose tongue traced below her lips to her neck and then to her nipples. Piper wrapped her arms around the dark head that was buried on her breast as she felt herself float towards the bed.  
  
Faith put her down gently on the center of the bed and kneeled down beside her, her tongue still flickered the hardened nipples of the San Francisco's beauty. After she had satisfied her appetite of the aroused breasts she took a little time to feast her eyes.  
  
Piper, who would have normally been embarrassed by the admiration of hungry eyes, was more than aroused by Faith's enchanted stare. She touched her own skin and traced her middle finger to her lips. Then she sucked in her finger seductively as Faith watched licking her own lips. She slowly moved her wet finger to her nipple and pinched it as she arched and released a barely audible groaned. She continued the journey down till she reached the edge of her pants.  
  
Faith stopped Piper's hand from going further down. She smiled cunningly as she undid the pants and she bared the woman that she fondly called Ms. Perfect, perfectly naked. Slowly parted her naked legs and put herself right in between them. She raised one of her leg to her lips and placed small kisses on the leg, then to the thigh as she lowered herself nearer to the heat that she famished for. Just as she reached the inner thigh her patience gave in and she took a quick lick on her lover's sex. Piper sighed loud at the sudden contact. Faith's tongue quickly found Piper's throbbing rhythm and her hands slipped below her and pushed Piper more and more inside her mouth. Piper arched her back making Faith's feast easier. Her hands pushing the slayer's head with the movement of her hip, her eyes closed hard, her teeth gritted tight, her breath refusing to exhale, Piper exploded in the young slayer's mouth, which her tongue was more than glad to clean.  
  
For a while Piper had lost all of her senses, when she finally came to, she could feel Faith's fingers drawing circles on her stomach. She smiled but didn't open her eyes. Faith kissed her softly.  
  
"Trying to go to sleep on me, Perfect?"  
  
"Well, give me something to open my eyes to." Piper grinned at the naughty implication.  
  
Within a moment she felt a piece of clothing on her face. She opened her eyes and slowly removed Faith's top from her face as the sexy woman continued to undo her bra and then her pants. Stark naked Faith just stood a little ways from Piper, allowing the witch to watch her. Not having patience for anymore games Piper knelt on the bed and pulled the now bare woman to her, to satisfy her own hunger for her skin. Her hands racing her mouth to touch her every part, pulling her closer and closer, finally reaching her nipples that found their perk with her tongue while her fingers just lingered between her legs, till she heard a moan of anticipation. Knowing the strength that her lover had shown she decided to shove her fingers with more force than she would normally dare, causing Faith to scream with pleasure. As she thrust more fingers in and out of the heated desire, she let her mouth do the same with her breast. Sensing that Faith was getting closer, Piper fell to her back allowing Faith to still ride her fingers, but using her strength to pull her up towards her mouth. At first Faith didn't realize what Piper wanted, but when she did, she moved quickly on her hungry lips, and placed herself so that she wouldn't hurt her face. Piper slipped her hands on her back and pulled her to let her ride her face like she had rode her fingers. The moment Piper's tongue touched her clit she needed no more persuasions. She threw her head and her body back as she climaxed and let her weight slid off on the side of the bed.  
  
"Where are we?" Xander asked waking up from his uncomfortable sleep on the back of the car.  
  
"One more hour tops." Buffy replied as she watched the sun rise. 


	5. How do you know Love? Part 5

Piper waited for the coffee to finish brewing while she smiled at the thoughts of the night before. She had loved making love to Faith all night long, and more than that, she had loved listening to Faith talk lying naked in her arms. Overall, to her the night had been just perfect.  
  
"How long have you been watching me?" She gave a quick look at her beautiful lover and turned her attention back to the coffee pot. "How long have you been smiling like that?" Faith joined the eldest witch from behind. "Since the day I met you." Piper replied tightening Faith's embrace. "Well then. That's how long I have been watching you." Faith replied in barely a whisper into Piper's ears, which made the blood rush downward for both the women. Making Piper lean backwards and tilt her head so that she could kiss her lover. "Ahemmm" Phoebe walked in with a grin on her face. "You can continue, I just wanted you to know you have company." "Why are you up so early?" Piper asked not even attempting to free herself from Faith's arms. "So I could watch you two in action. Why else?" Phoebe had to tease her sister, "Not to mention get introduced to a very sexy stranger who spent the night at OUR home." Faith untangled her hands from Piper's waist to greet the younger Haliwell.  
  
"Hi! I am Faith." "Faith, now I already knew that. And I am Phoebe, which you already knew too. But, doesn't it feel good to shake hands?" Phoebe said not willing to let go of Faith's hands. "Phoebe let go of her hand." Paige said entering the kitchen. Piper glared at her sister while Faith just looked around little embarrassed by everything. "Did my OLDER sister tell you that you are very sexy?" Phoebe asked ignoring her sisters and just staring at Faith. "Yes, she did. The moment she woke up this morning in HER SEXY ARMS." It was Piper who answered for Faith. "Ignore her Faith. I am Paige by the way, the youngest and the wisest sister. Phoebe always goes after who ever Piper likes. So, the key is to ignore her." Paige said trying to rescue her sister's lover. "That is not true. I don't go after everyone Piper likes; just the sexy and good looking ones." Phoebe protested. "Then I must say I am flattered. Even though, there is plenty of me to go around." Faith winked at Phoebe siding with her. "I like her Piper." She said, for the first time taking her eyes off Faith. "Get that Phoebe." Piper said trying to get rid of her sister. "You get it." Phoebe just couldn't let go of an opportunity to annoy her sister who seemed so peaceful after a long time. "WE WILL GET IT." Paige pulled Phoebe along as she wanted leave her sister alone, which certainly Phoebe didn't realize.  
  
------------------------  
  
Buffy waited in anticipation for the door to open. She was hoping that this time Faith would answer the door. They had reached San Francisco at the crack of dawn and had managed to find Faith's apartment without getting lost too. But, when they had knocked on the door and waited there for hours, it was apparent that Faith was not home and was not coming anytime soon. It was then that they had decided to call Giles and see if council had given him any alternative address for Faith, like her work address. Giles had taken couple of hours to get back to them. When he did, he had given them the address that Buffy had just rung the bell for. As she waited she wondered why Faith would be in a house that looked like old money. She assumed maybe she was doing some construction work inside.  
  
Paige and Phoebe opened the door to a little surprised slayer. "Can I help you?" Paige asked. "I was looking for Ms.Spencer, Ms.Faith Spencer. But looks like I got the wrong address. Sorry to have bothered you." Buffy started to leave. "Well, Faith is here. If you are looking for dark haired about this high, extremely hot woman?" Phoebe had to add the last bit. How can one not, she thought. "Who is looking for her is what she was trying to ask." Paige glared at her sister for being so forward with information. "Oh! I am an old friend of hers. We desperately need to talk." Now, all Buffy wanted to do was pass through those obviously stupid looking women and see Faith. "Come on in." said Phoebe as she let the blond woman in. Paige was not happy about the fact that Faith had already given their address to her friends when she herself had not been in the house even 24 hours.  
  
"Phoebe who is it?" Piper walked into the living room with Faith right behind her. "B, what are you doing here?" Faith asked staring at the older slayer who had just walked in. "Faith finally." That's all she managed to say as she walked quickly to Faith and pulled her into a long overdue hug. Faith hesitated for a moment or two and then pushed Buffy off of her. "Geez thanks B. I never remember being ever greeted so warmly by you." "Faith we have been looking all over for you, for months. You just left and even Angel had no idea where you had gone. I thought of every worst case scenario and I was so scared." "Sorry B. Didn't think I was going to be missed. If I remember correctly the only time you smiled was whenever I left." Faith moved away from Buffy to give herself some breathing room. "That is not true and you know it." Buffy could not believe that Faith still believed that she wanted her gone. For a moment she paused to remember if that night had really happened or it was just a figment of her imagination. Of course it had to have happened. But if it had happened, then she didn't understand why Faith was acting as though nothing had.  
  
Piper was very anxious for the conversation to continue, as she could clearly tell that even though Faith was trying her best to act non-caring, there was some kind of definite sexual tension going between the two women. The feeling didn't make her comfortable but she certainly wanted to be there to hear the end of it.  
  
Just then the light shimmered and Leo appeared. Paige was now in a state of rage, not only was the house listening to two women that were strangers to them, now Leo had just appeared in front of them. Who was going to explain to them who Leo was, and how he appeared like that. "Leo what are you doing? We have company." She yelled through clenched teeth. "I know. You must be the chosen two. The slayers." Leo said, looking at the two new women in the Halliwell living room. "Yeah and who are you?" Buffy asked growing skeptical of the people around her. She was wishing more than ever that Faith hadn't got herself onto the wrong side again. "He is our white-lighter." Piper replied still surprised as how Leo knew them. "They are witches. Good witches." Faith added to make sure that Buffy didn't think that she was in some kind of harm. "Yes. They are good witches. Have you told them about the First?" Leo asked excited at seeing the slayers that he had only heard about. "What First? The one Buffy totaled once upon a time ago?" Faith asked, now very curious as to who Leo was, and what he knew. "Well, I did, but he is back, trying to open the hell mouth." Buffy replied grimly. "Yes, he is back and he is doing more than that. Once the hell mouth is open, he can take over the world with evil. That's why you have to stop him." Leo said trying to make sure that everyone understood the seriousness of the situation. "We know the routine." Faith replied to clear some air. "It's not that simple this time. He has got everyone that could help him. Demons, vampires, orgs, warlocks, you name it he has it. He has already wiped out your council in every country. He also knows about your group trying to round up potentials." Buffy was amazed by the amount of knowledge Leo possessed. "So, who are you and how do you know all this?" She asked still not being able to trust him. "Like you have watchers, witches have white-lighters. Witches have supernatural powers, and we possess few ourselves. Then we have elders, who possess knowledge of past and present, sometime even future. More or less like your council but we are not mortals. That being said, the reason I was sent today was to join the Charmed Ones with the Chosen Two, to vanquish the First." None of them said a word. So, Leo continued looking at the two slayers. "You have to admit. You need all the help you can get and they are very powerful witches." Just then Xander, Willow and Tara entered looking for Buffy. Willow was taken aback by the number of people in the room, and the look of something very important being discussed there in every one of their faces. "Tara!" Leo recognized the young witch immediately and walked up to her to give her a hug. "Leo. My god! I never thought I would see you again." Tara said as the hug ended. "The elders didn't tell me that you might be here." "Well, we." She paused and pulled Willow towards her, "This is Willow." "Oh! This is Willow. Hi." He said apparently recognizing the red head even though Willow was just baffled by everything that was going on. She just returned the greeting as a polite gesture. "Well, we are friends with Buffy." She said looking at the blond slayer, "And Faith." She added seeing the dark slayer in the room. "And they are the Charmed Ones." She added once again before Leo could tell her. "Everyone knows everyone. Isn't that just cheezy?" Faith was as curious as everyone else but she just had to say something. "Buffy, the First killed one of the potentials. We have to go back as soon as possible." Tara said ignoring Faith. Even though Buffy had confessed her love for the dark slayer, Tara was still uncomfortable with Faith's very domineering attitude. "Ok, Faith coming? And you guys can follow us." Buffy returned to her slayer self as now the whole room was to be involved in their fight. Her talk with Faith had to wait. "You don't have to go by cars. Paige can orb you there. I cannot because the First has blocked out all the mystical creatures from the area. Only mortals, even the ones with powers can go through." Leo said trying to save time. "Sure I'll be the means of transportation." Paige said not liking the sound of Leo's assumption. "Leo, you haven't once asked if we even want to help them." "Of course we want to help them." Piper stared at Paige, surprised at her sister's protest. "Well, I just think that we should at least talk it through as sisters as how we are going to help them before we all jump the guns." Paige replied obviously annoyed. "Ok. Why don't you orb everyone to Sunnydale then, come back and discuss and then go back." Leo said attempting to keep everyone happy and rush at the same time. "Sure. Who is coming?" Paige asked. Xander was the first one to step forward as he was feeling lost in the room full of gorgeous women and due to some weird reason he wanted to go back to his girlfriend desperately. Willow and Tara followed their friend and waited for Buffy, while Buffy waited for Faith. "Let me make the next trip guys. I need to take care of few things here." Faith said realizing that she was holding the line. "I'll wait for Faith." As soon as Buffy said those words the impatient Paige simmered into thin air with the scoobies. "You should have gone B. I just needed make some calls to my work, clean up and pack some of my shit." "I could help." Buffy certainly didn't want to leave Faith out of sight now that she had finally found her. "Or I could help." Piper was now glaring at the blond woman that obviously was a threat to her. Faith walked up to Piper and took her hand in hers. "I am sure you need to call the club and make arrangements yourself. I just need to make sure that after we save the world I have a home to come back to. I'll be back as soon as possible." Faith leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Piper's lips. "Got a ride B?" She now turned to the older slayer. "Yeah, I got the car right outside." Buffy replied blankly still not being able to absorb what she had just seen. "I can orb you two to your apartment. Call the manor when you are ready and I can orb you back." Leo intervened once again to save time. He held the two slayers on his either side and simmered. As Piper watched, the feeling of lightness that she once felt with Faith had now been replaced with the heaviest heart she ever had.  
  
"Wow. I didn't see that coming." Phoebe sat down as soon as everyone disappeared. She looked at her sister who was now staring at the empty space where Faith had stood just few seconds ago. "Did you know that she was a slayer?" Phoebe asked. "Yes, she told me last night. And that is Buffy, the woman who tried to kill her." Piper replied trying her best not to show her fear to her sister. Phoebe got up and walked to her sister, "Are you scared that she might try to kill her again?" "No." Piper nodded her and looked at her sister with eyes which were now filled with tears. "I am scared I might loose her Phoebe." Phoebe comforted her older sister trying to soothe her pain as she tried to get her words out through her tears. "I love her Phoebe. I love her." 


	6. How do you know Love? Part 6

"What was that about?" Buffy asked as soon as they were alone. "What was what about?" Faith walked into her closet. "The kiss." "None of your business B." Faith replied from the closet now packing a few things in her duffle bag. "Look Faith the reason I came here..." Buffy started but Faith spoke before she could finish. "I heard the reason you came here looking for me B. I am used to my life being interrupted whenever you and the high and mighty ones need an extra hand. After all, how can the things in my life be more important than saving the world?" Buffy couldn't believe how wrong Faith was about her and her reasons. "That is not true Faith. I have been looking for you since you left." "I got that B, and you found me and we'll do the usual. Look I am taking a shower, watch some tube if you feel bored." She replied nonchalantly as she entered the bathroom. Buffy just stared at the wall, unable to believe anything that was happening. Not only was Faith unaware of her feelings, she obviously felt nothing herself. She wasn't sure if Faith was acting like she didn't care or if Faith truely didn't care.  
  
Paige and Leo both returned almost at the same time. As soon as they were back, Phoebe got hold of Leo and charged. "Tell us everything you know about the whole slayer story and in detail no abridged version; especially about Buffy stabbing Faith." Seeing that the sisters were not asking him but telling him, Leo obeyed.  
  
Faith walked into the shower and closed her eyes. Everything was finally falling into places and she was finally able to sleep at night without thinking of B, and now here she was once again face to face with her. She didn't want Buffy in her life; in fact she wanted her as far away from her as she could be. But, she had to come. She had to pretend to be her friend. Old friend she had told Phoebe, she wondered when they were ever friends. Whenever she had gone to Buffy, she was just shoved away, over and over like a stray dog, and then finally the knife inside of her. The water washed away her tears but not her pain as the night played on her head. Touching Buffy, hearing her call her name during her orgasm, Buffy actually telling her that she loved her. She laughed to herself and opened her eyes. Love, if Buffy had loved her she would not have tried to kill her, or at least regretted it. But, when she had gone to see Buffy, she was the same. No, Buffy didn't love her. She took a deep breath and composed herself. She had found a home here in San Francisco and she was not willing to let Buffy take that from her. If she was alive by the end of this ordeal, she was coming back. She promised herself that.  
  
Buffy was amazed at Faith's apartment. She had never figured Faith to take care to decorate, but her place not just had things of necessities but it had furniture that was well placed. Buffy was not blind, she did realize that Piper and Faith did have something going on between them. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that she loved Faith and would not give up on her without a fight. Not this time she promised herself as she waited for Faith to come out of the shower.  
  
Faith had made sure that she was fully dressed when she came out of the shower, yet when Buffy's eyes followed her out, she found herself being conscious. Even with all her protest to herself she had to admit that she enjoyed being the object of Buffy's admiration, like so many times that she had caught Buffy before, even when the slayer denied it. Yes, Buffy always denied it. Why had Buffy always denied her, she thought. Then she shook her head and reminded herself that she didn't care.  
  
She let Buffy watch her as she combed her wet hair. When she turned around Buffy was right in front of her. She was so close for the second time in her life Faith could feel her breath on her skin. Faith knew she had to move, but she just found herself frozen.  
  
Buffy held the younger woman's face on her hands and moved hers closer. Faith certainly didn't have the strength or the will power to move but she did possess enough control over herself not to close eyes or part her lips. She would not welcome her move. Realizing so Buffy transformed the intimacy into a hug. "I love you Faith and I know you know it. Due to some reason you don't trust my words, but I am not giving up on you. I love you too much to just let go." Buffy said, holding her tighter. Faith pushed her away as her rage took over. "Love, you want to talk about love with me. I know your love B right here on this scar, it reminds me every day of the love you have for me." She raised her hand to pause for any response Buffy had. "Before I was called for this godforsaken slayer thing, my body was a walking monument of proof of love from my so called parents or foster parents. I walked with scars of love all my life, till it healed physically because I was called upon, and I healed my heart myself. Then you walk in and I have a scar again. Once again it's proof of love. I don't think I need a love like that B. I am happy with no love. So, just spare me with your melodrama." Even though Buffy wanted to hear Faith's side of the story, she certainly was not willing to take her love being trashed with Faith's dark childhood. "Yes, Faith only you had the dark childhood. Only you had scars. How cheesy do you think my childhood was? Do you think having to be the chosen one over anything else made my life nifty?" "Look B I am not interested in your rich girl's poor story. The shit that it boils down to is, I was left for dead not you." Buffy punched the wall right in front of Faith's face stopping the younger woman from moving. "And you are not willing to listen to my reasoning for it." She said with agitation. Faith was certainly as angry as Buffy. "No, B I know the reasoning behind it. You were the good slayer, I was the dark slayer, one had to go down and I did. What doesn't fit into the picture is you loving me." She glared into Buffy's eyes and pushed her out of her way before Buffy could answer. "You think it was easy for me?" Buffy asked trying to understand where Faith's anger was coming from. "No, B it wasn't easy but it did happen." "You have to let me say it Faith." "B, don't you get it. It's not about the fact that you loved me or not. I knew that even before you said it. It certainly was not about the fact that whether or not you did the right thing, coz I can't argue that it wasn't the thing to do." "What is it about then Faith? If I was right, then why do I have to face rejection from you now?" "It's about the fact that you didn't once consider any alternative." Faith said softly. "Faith there was no alternative, you were with the Mayor. You had killed people. I had to stop you." Buffy moved closer as she felt that their words were closing the gap that had formed between them. "You are right; there was no alternative, to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But, B that night you came to my room. You didn't flinch even when I made you bleed. You were so sure you could have had me then, did Buffy the Vampire Slayer ever think that may be you could have had me any other time too?" Faith moved away one more time and this time Buffy was affixed to her place. "Why did you tell me you loved me that night B? Coz it was as convenient for you? It sure as hell was not convenient before, right? Well, sorry to make it inconvenient for you B, the Chosen One. But right now I am not interested. I'll certainly keep you in mind when it becomes convenient for me." Faith could see that her words were forming tears in Buffy's eyes so she turned away. Though her rage had done a great job by taking over and not letting her give in to Buffy, she was not sure she could hold herself against her tears. Damn it, she still could not cause the slayer any pain, without inflicting greater on herself. She shut her eyes and just grabbed the phone to take her mind off, while Buffy just let her tears roll down her cheeks as she felt the pain of Faith's words sink in. Buffy waited till Faith finished her call to her work before she spoke. "You are right even though I do claim to have not chosen to be the Chosen One, I have never considered an alternative either. May be that is because I have never known one. Ever since I could make my own decision on my dress choice I have been a slayer." "That is not my fault B." "That is not my fault either. That doesn't change the fact that I love you." All Buffy wanted to do was think about the present and not the past. "Yeah and when exactly did you realize that? When you were planning to kill me? When you stabbed me? Or when I was dying in coma? Or maybe B, you realized it when I was rotting in jail?" Buffy had prepared herself for the worst, but she hadn't expected to see Faith's bleeding heart, and more than that she certainly wasn't prepared admit that the blood was on her hands. Her heart weighed a ton with Faith's words, but she hadn't expected to  
  
see Faith's raging pain, and more than that she certainly wasn't  
  
prepared admit that the blood was on her hands. Her heart pulled her  
  
down as she swallowed her tears and refused to feel guilty. "Hey I may be high school drop out. But, I know one thing B, you  
  
don't love me." Faith finally said the words that she had waited six  
  
months to say.  
  
"And how do you know love?" Buffy asked, not knowing any other way  
  
to defend herself.  
  
"I know love B, because I am in love; the real deal."  
  
Their eyes  
  
locked on each other only to be interrupted by a bright light as  
  
Paige and Piper orbed in front of them. Piper didn't even notice Buffy's swollen eyes that were staring at her; Faith, she was only interested in Faith who was now looking at  
  
her.  
  
"I thought you might be done." She said.  
  
"Oh! We are done. Lets go."  
  
Faith took Piper's hand and Piper immediately felt better.  
  
Buffy watched the eldest Charmed One take Faith in her arms and place a kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes finally willing to take the truth in.  
  
She let out a deep breath and opened her eyes, to catch the dark slayer still enticed in the kiss with the witch but her eyes staring at her.   
  
---------------------------  
  
Is used for thoughts. 


	7. How do you know Love? Part 7

Her eyes were focused but her thoughts were blank. Her hand automatically moved back and landed on the face of the vampire behind her before he could claim his hit. She flipped back and before her feet touched the ground she staked the evil through the heart. She stood for a second and looked around. Everything was silent, everything was still. She calmly walked around gathering her weapons and putting them back to her weapons. Suddenly a thought hit her. How many had she killed today? She tried to count from the piles of dust everywhere, but it seemed impossible. Here she was merely a girl if you thought about it, and her life had trained her so well that now she had killed multiple so called bad guys at the same time, and she couldn't even remember how many, or how she had done it. It had all been like a long reflex. She gets attacked she killed, like a well oiled engine, start and go; never thinking. She tried to remember if she was thinking anything but she knew her mind was blank. She had stopped to think when she was fighting. Tears formed in her eyes as Faith's words for the thousand's time repeated on her head, "You never considered an alternative." And she had not. She never considered anything. She was the good guy, anyone who attacked her were bad guys, so killing was her only choice; even if it was Faith. Oh God! She had done it. She had put the knife through her skin. What was she thinking at that time, she tried to remember? "Oh God!" She screamed and looked up, "I had to be thinking something, please tell me my mind was not blank. I am not a machine; please tell me, God...." She hung her head down as tears streamed out with the realization that her mind was unfaithful to her. She lifted her tears soaked hands to cover her face as she sobbed louder. Now, she realized what a nightmare it could have been for Faith to watch her blank eyes as blood oozed out of her body. Her hands had done it, and she wasn't even there to stop herself from stabbing her own heart. Faith was right, Buffy was just a slayer. How would a slayer know love, when she could stab her own heart and never even realize its pain? She sobbed alone for what seemed like hours before she finally got up. She ran, faster and faster and stopped. She stared at her mother's grave. She touched the words on the stone as she remembered her mother's words, "You might be a slayer Buffy, but you are my daughter first." Yes, she was not just a slayer, she was a daughter. She had loved her mom. But, she had lost her and she had not cried. Why hadn't she cried on her own mother's death, she asked herself? She had to be strong for Dawn, that's why she didn't cry. There were other emotions than just slayer instincts within her. She was her mom's daughter, she was Dawn's sister, she was best friends to Willow and Xander, and she was like a daughter to Giles. Definitely she was more than just a slayer to them. Those people who had fought side by side with her; they knew her. They loved her. They knew she was not just a slayer, she was Buffy. If they knew it, then definitely she could be a lover to Faith too. She wiped off her tears and a new sense of peace formed in her heart for the first time since her mom's death she decided to talk to her mom. "You are right mom. I am Buffy first and I'll show it to Faith that slayer is not all I am. If I have friends and family who know me for more than just a slayer then, all I have to do is let Faith know that too. I know that she loves me. And I really love her. Thank you for showing me the way. I love you mom."  
  
----------------  
  
"She is going to kill you." Piper tried to warn Faith. "Perfect, I know you are saying this because you want to protect me but she won't kill me." Faith replied trying to mock Piper's words. "Why not? She did it before." Piper wasn't willing to let it go. "Yeah, I know. But I am pitching for the good guys now." Faith said trying to calm Piper's concern. "Faith listen, I don't know if you realized this but Buffy was raised from dead." "I know babe, she is the slayer that rose from the dead. Why do you think they call her the Chosen One?" "But, don't you get it Faith, she is not." Faith paused. "What do you mean?" She asked. "When Buffy had died, no other slayer was called for. If there was then there would have been three slayers." "Yeah but that's because Buffy had already died for few minutes before at which time the other slayer was called." "My point exactly and when that slayer died, you were called. Now for any of these potentials to be called it's not Buffy who has to die, it is you."  
  
Faith finally did get what Piper was concerned about. Even though Piper did make sense, Faith didn't want to acknowledge the fact that Buffy might be thinking of killing her once again. She had told her that she loved her why would she want her dead. No, it couldn't be. She refused to believe that Buffy wanted her dead. "Faith, please don't fight common sense, please listen to me." It hurt Piper to see her lover in turmoil.  
  
  
  
Piper took a moment to see if Faith would move, then she went to get the door. It was Giles, Willow and Xander. "Hey." Willow spoke first, "I hope we are not interrupting but we wanted to talk to you and your sisters, or you and Paige since Phoebe has gone to Magic Box with Tara." "Sure come in." Piper let the gang inside. "What's up Red?" Faith asked as they walked in. "Oh! Faith, are you back from the patrol already?" It was Giles who spoke. "Yeah, it was a slow night. Not many patrons showed up. Looks to me like, blondie has done a good job of scaring them away." Faith replied. "Oh! Good." Giles briefly said as he turned to Piper. "Last night, the demon that Willow and Tara faced was the same one that you all vanquished couple of years ago?" He asked Piper. "Yes, like we told you before, that's why we remembered the spell and vanquished it." Piper answered as matter of fact. "Yes, I gathered that much. Then I was thinking, that if the First is summoning even the vanquished demons or the ones that can be summoned at least, I think it would be wise for you guys to load yourself with as much of your spells that you have used just in case." He waited for a response. "That certainly sounds like a good idea, Mr. G." Faith liked it when the Scoobies considered her new friends an asset. Faith felt like the Charmed Ones' achievements were her own. She looked at Piper to get her reaction. "Yeah, right." Piper said slowly, not trusting that Giles didn't have something else up his sleeves. "We could orb home and make some notes from the book of shadows. It's almost day time so Faith could come with us." Piper rolled her eyes looking at everyone, to make sure that she caught everyone's expression. It was Willow who seemed to be not ok, with her suggestion. "Yeah, that is good. You should do that. Orb there. Good. But, Faith might want to stay behind to train the potentials and all. They will be up soon." Willow said the sentence in almost a normal speed but to her it seemed like it took forever to finish. After all, she was not just watched by Faith, who always managed to make her nervous, but Piper's looks were as damaging as the dark slayers. "That's cool." Faith agreed and turned to Piper. "Perfect, you should go. Let me do my thing here and you do your thing huh." Piper certainly didn't like the idea at all, as she could feel that the air didn't smell right with Faith's former so called friends, but she didn't want to argue with Faith, especially when she could feel that Faith was trying to please everyone and she certainly didn't want to be difficult. Phone rang just in time to save Piper from saying anything in protest. Willow walked out to the hallway to get the phone while Piper walked to the door to the adjoining room to wake Paige up.  
  
Within few minutes Piper and Paige were out of Sunnydale, Willow had to go to Bronze to pick up Kenedy, one of the potentials and Faith walked up to the bed hoping the two remaining men would walk out but they stayed put. Faith jumped on the bed and faced the men who now were refusing to look at her on purpose. "You got more things to share with me?" Faith asked finally. "Ahhh. Well. Me. No. Yes. It's just that we just thought that now that its dawn you might want to go and check up on Spike in the school's basement. Just to know if he has been visited by the First and get update." Xander's nervousness made Faith suspicious about what was going on. She glared at him and got out of the bed intending to grill him but Giles stopped her intention. "No, that's ok, we can wait for Buffy to come, and then we can send her to see Spike." "B is not back yet?" Faith asked now concerned. "No, not yet. She must not have been as lucky as you were. But, you sleep; Buffy can go when she comes back." Giles said now cleaning his glasses. "That's fine, I'll go. Let her rest when she comes back." She walked to the chair, grabbed her jacket and left, while Giles and Xander just stared at each other.  
  
(Couple of hours earlier in the Summer resident's living room.)  
  
"You can't possibly suggest what I think you are suggesting right?" Tara asked shocked at the ex-watcher. "I am afraid I am." Giles had said. "Tara, this is no time to be emotional. We have an evil that is stronger than we or anyone has ever encountered, and its time we made sure that our defense is flawless and ready." "That is exactly the reason why all of us are ready and the ones who are not ready, we are training. I mean we even have outside help, I think we are very aware of the powers of the First." Willow tried to put weight to her lover's reasoning. "Yes, I can see that." Giles did not want to be the bad guy with these young people who had fought for good almost all their lives, but he knew that what had to be done had to be done. "But you have to understand how First operates. It lures you with evil, tries to break you from the inside. All of us have inner demons but the one that cannot fight their demon is the weakest. It's not something we can take a chance on right now." How about "what makes you think these girls are up to the challenge?" Xander asked still not convinced with Giles. "We don't but at least they all are willing to accept their fate not hate it. They all have seen their watchers die, and they have come here to avenge their deaths, we certainly can channel that anger towards the First and have them be immune to his mind games." Giles told the group. "Giles my man, I don't think you have been updated with the latest here." Xander said, "Things have changed since you've been gone. People have changed sides and now we are all on one side." "But we can't take any chances if the temptation wins. We cannot loose our biggest weapon because the person is too weak to get lured into evil." Giles retorted.  
  
Just then they heard footsteps walking down and the room fell silent. "Hiya all." Phoebe waved at the group as she entered. "I am sorry to disturb but I saw the light on and I thought you might be awake." "Oh! Don't worry, we were awake." Tara told the young witch. "It's just that yesterday I was trying to make this potion and I just couldn't remember one of the ingredients, and all of a sudden in my sleep I remembered it and felt this urge to come down and make it. But, seeing that you all are busy I am going to go back to sleep." Phoebe was retracting her steps backwards realizing she was certainly not welcome in their cozy meeting. "That's ok. Let me help you with it. But, we don't really have much stuff out here, we usually conjure potions in the Magic Box, if you want I can go with you, unless you want to wait till the morning." Tara asked as she really didn't want to hear what Giles had been saying. "Sweetie its middle of the night, it's not safe for you to go out." Willow said before Phoebe could answer. "I know, but Magic Box is only a little walk and we are both are witches we can protect ourselves. That is only if you want to go?" She looked at Phoebe and asked again. "Sure, since I cant sleep and although dangerous, it looks like a pretty night for a walk." Phoebe replied unsure of why she was all of a sudden excited about the little trip. Willow walked to the door with them when Tara turned to her girlfriend and held her hand to her heart and asked "Baby do not let Giles get his way, he is not right, you know that, right?" "I know baby," Willow replied. "You have to promise me not to. Think about Buffy. Please promise me you won't let him do that." Tara insisted again. "Yes, baby I promise." Willow said and sealed her promise with a kiss. Tara smiled and walked away. Back in the living room Giles was waiting for Willow all prepared with his another long lecture or explanation as he put it. "No, Giles even before you start, Tara is right if nothing else we have to think about Buffy she would never agree to it, no matter how right it may seem. You have to understand you didn't see her for the past few months, we did and I know she would not understand." Willow said. "Wait a minute, do we know the same Buffy here." Anya addressed as though she was the only smart person in the room. "For Christ's sake, Buffy is a slayer and she always has been. When it comes to right and wrong she chooses the right no matter what. She is the one who killed Angel even after your spell had worked and Angel had got his soul back. Why? Because she is a slayer. She is the one who stabbed Faith, she didn't even once try talking to her; she just went right ahead and tried to kill her. She was willing to kill me and you when I turned into Vengeance Monster and you went overboard with your magic. So, I don't think we need to sit here and waste time about if Buffy will get hurt. She doesn't get hurt when you do the right thing. So, the question is, is Giles right?" She finished and looked around, proud of the impact she caused. No body spoke for a while and Giles knew the reason why. No one wanted to admit that he was right, so he spoke the words that everyone agreed but didn't want to dare. "Faith has to die." 


	8. How do you know Love? Part 8

"Anybody home?" Faith screamed walking past another door in the labyrinth below the school. "Damn Spike I think I liked your other crib better." She thought aloud as she kicked opened another door. "Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the fly." Faith turned around to face the man with a white color. "T'is the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy." He continued with the rhyme. "What is that?" Faith asked. "Its a little rhyme I learned as a kid. Don't you remember?" He asked instead. "Oh! The school stuff. Well, I must have been absent that day, or the decade." Faith replied. "It's a nice rhyme. The way up to my parlor is up the winding stairs, and I have many pretty things to show once you are up there." He moved closer with both his hands on his lips, as though he was praying. "Well, I am sure you do, but I'll pass for now." Faith tried to walk past him but he grabbed her and threw her up the wall. "Now Faith what kind of an evil would I be, if I let a slayer who has been handed to me on a platter walk out of here alive." He smiled at her, amused by his own witty sentence. "I came here for Spike." Faith said getting up. "Spike.Spike.Oh! That little vampire. He has been gone for days." He again resumed his hands to its former position. "I don't need to take this." Faith said under her breath as she charged and punched Kylub on his jaw. She was surprised that he was still standing even though Buffy had told her that he was stronger than anything they had ever fought. "Nice hit for a little girl." He said as he merely slapped her and she was swept across the room.  
  
Tara's face was illuminating with the steam of the potion they were brewing and Phoebe could not help but smile. Tara had this really innocent look and her eyes were so deep, all Phoebe wanted to do was be able to stare into them forever. She closed her eyes and immediately stopped her thought and told herself that Tara has a girlfriend. "What are you thinking?" Tara broke the silence. "Oh! Nothing." She said, with a little blush on her cheek. "Nothing really." She continued. "Well, I was wondering how you knew Leo." "Oh! He was my white-lighter till I gave up." Tara replied casually. "You gave up?" Phoebe asked, now very interested. "Well, I am a born witch too, you know. Unlike Willow who is a witch through learning. Not that she is not a powerful witch. You know she even did a mind swap with a God ..." She paused herself realizing that she was going off on a tangent. "Anyway, I had this destiny thing that I was destined for and Leo was there in the beginning to guide me. That's all." "But you said you gave up. How do you give up destiny?" Phoebe had to ask. "When you have another destiny to fulfill." She replied trying to avoid giving details. "No, no, no. You don't get away with answers like that. There have been times in my life if I had a choice I would choose not to be the Charmed One, but endured it because it was my destiny. Not to mention the millionth time that Prue or Piper has used that word to make me do what I had to. So, you have to tell me how you turned your back on your destiny." Phoebe didn't want to be pushy but somehow she felt that she had a right to know this. "Phoebe please, it's not like I don't feel guilty already." Tara said once again trying to end the topic. There was a silence and Tara didn't want to look up but she did. The moment she did she knew she had to continue. "Well, I was falling in love with Willow. Then Leo came and saw that I was neglecting my duties as he put it. That's when he told me who he was and told me about my destiny. Basically the path of my destiny was away from Willow and I just could not do it. So, I just gave it up. For that I lost my powers as a witch, but Willow and I do well with our learnt powers so I have never really missed them you know." "Wow! You gave it up for love. That is so romantic." Phoebe said touching her own heart to show how touched she was. "Not really Phoebe, love can be blinding at times. It's in a relationship that you know love, otherwise how do you really know love anyway." Tara stated it with absolutely no emotion which surprised Phoebe. "Why do you say that?" Phoebe asked. "Oh! It's nothing; just that Willow and I have gone through a lot of ups and downs that's all. And sometimes you just get disillusioned out of your own definition of love." She tried to explain but she knew she failed. "I understand." Phoebe said placing her hand on Tara's. "When Piper and Leo got married, everyone thought that there was no greater love meant to be. But from the day that they felt anything for each other, it was a constant battle with one obstacle after another. Finally when they were no more obstacles, they got divorced. Not because they didn't love each other, but because their love had just turned into this big fight that after it was won they both were lost." She squeezed Tara's hand one more time for support. "Seeing a love like that fizzle out, doesn't that scare you?" Tara asked, wanting to know more about Phoebe. "No, it just makes you aware that there are many kinds of love. If you failed in one doesn't mean that you don't have a chance in another." She smiled, wanting desperately for Tara to do the same. "How do you know Love?" Tara asked still with a solemn face. "You just do when the time is right." Tara finally smiled a little. She had to, the Charmed One's charm was not easy to resist for long.  
  
"Kennedy stop acting like you are drunk, I know you are not." Willow commanded stopping right on her tracks. The young potential smiled at the pouting witch. "If you knew I wasn't drunk then why did you agree to walk home with me instead of driving home? You must have known that I was lying about being car sick." "I was just humoring you but now it's getting too much, you don't have to fumble and walk, just walk straight." Willow said. "I am not straight enough to walk straight." Kennedy stated and walked normally as the red head glared at her with her mouth open. After realizing the effect of her words, the potential turned back to still stunned Willow. "Come on now, you are gay too so why are you so shocked?" "Its not that, it's just that. I have never heard people be so out and cool about it." Willow said trying to get her thoughts back together. "Hey I don't have a girlfriend like you do that I can flaunt it around and make it clear to people. So when I need people to know I have to use words. It's Simple." She told still stunned Willow, who just nodded in acknowledgement. "Or, I could have just kissed you to let you know I was interested but thought I would tell you first." Kennedy threw another shocker. Willow stopped walking for the third time, "Uhh.Ahhh." She tried to get her words out but it just didn't obey. Then she finally closed her eyes as Kennedy just stood in front and watch the baffled Willow, who she thought was really sexy. "Are you flirting with me?" Willow finally was able to ask. "Yeah." Kennedy retorted like a reflex. "I have a girlfriend and." Kennedy put a finger on Willow's soft lips to pause her words and she said slowly, "I know, but look there. That's a beautiful sunrise to a new day and you are walking with me. I know you have Tara. It's just the moment. Can you just humor me for a little while longer?" Kennedy stared into Willows eyes and gave her best pouting face which she knew the red head could not refuse.  
  
Faith was bruised all over but she still found the strength to get up. "You sure are not like the other one." Kylub said as he got himself out of the pile of fallen rumble. Faith jumped right on him and punched him deeper. "I sure am not." Faith admitted as she took a huge piece of wood to hammer Kylub with. "Well well well look at her rage." Said a voice behind her. Faith turned to face Buffy. "You still don't get it do you Faith." Buffy continued. "Why are you standing there B? Give me a hand." Faith said as she turned back and hit Kylub one more time but this time he blocked it and pushed her to the wall. "She is not here to give you a hand." Kylub said as he dug himself out. Faith was loosing her energy but she managed to kneel and catch some breath when Kylub kicked her on her stomach making blood spur out of her mouth. "She is here to give me a hand." He kicked her one more time but with greater force. "Oh! Poor little slayer. She really thinks she is smart and yet always gets herself trapped. Isn't that a pity?" Buffy said as she walked to Faith who was now coughing blood. "What do I have to do to kill you?" She said again making a mock face for Faith to see. The last ounce of energy that Faith had preserved had now gone. Kylub picked her up, so that Buffy was right on her face now. "Faith can't you just do us all a favor and die?" Faith only stared at the blond slayer, losing any strength or motivation to even speak as tears broke out. "Oh! Look now the dark slayer is crying." Buffy continued; while Kylub pounded few hits on the already given up body.  
  
Paige looked up at her sister who hadn't stopped pacing since they had come to the manor. She closed the book knowing that she had to speak. "What is wrong Piper?" "I don't like Giles." Piper said not stopping to look at her younger sibling. "Yes, and I don't like Sunnydale. I don't like Buffy. I don't like ." Paige stopped as Piper stopped. "No, Paige. He is up to something. He seemed so desperate for us to leave." She voiced out her thoughts. "It's not like their place is so grand, why are you so upset about?" Paige certainly didn't understand what Piper was trying to say. "Paige." Piper screamed. "Don't you get it? They need Faith to die for any one of the potential to be called." Paige stood up and guided her sister to the couch. "I know but Faith is on their side now, they don't want her dead. The potentials are out there just in case something happens, and we won't let anything happen to Faith." She reassured her sister. "No, they don't trust Faith. And for them to send us out in the middle of the night, it just doesn't fit." Piper poured her heart out to her sister. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" Paige wondered why they left in the first place if Piper had so many doubts. "Well, Faith really wanted to please them or show them that she trusted them, I think, and I didn't want to give her a hard time. So, I agreed." Piper confessed as Paige hugged her sister for comfort. "That's fine, I'll do a locater spell for Faith or slayers, and I should be able to do that since they are mystical too. Then we'll orb to her and see if everything is fine ok."  
  
Dawn walked into the kitchen to find Buffy making breakfast. "Good Morning little sister." Buffy said when she saw Dawn walking in. "Want some breakfast?" "Sure," She replied baffled at the scene in front of her. "You are very happy today." "Of course, why shouldn't I be?" Buffy asked her little sister as she poured a glass of orange juice. "Well, I don't know, with the world might end scenario to deal with I just didn't expect you making breakfast I guess." Dawn said trying to wake Buffy from her dream as she thought. "Oh! The world is always about to end. That is my work and this is home. And this is Buffy making breakfast." She smiled and continued, "So, Dawn any idea how Faith likes her coffee?" Dawn was thrown aback by Buffy's question. Even though Dawn had not participated in Giles' decision about Faith, but when Xander had told her about it, she had agreed to it like the rest of the Scoobies had. Dawn was lost in her dilemma, when Buffy snapped her fingers in front of her to bring thoughts back to Buffy. "She is back from the patrol right?" Buffy asked unaware of Dawn's clouding face. "Yeah, but you know she might be with ." "With that witch, I know." Buffy cut Dawn, "You know little sister what I realized, Faith has never really seen this Buffy, the one who wants to make her coffee and breakfast to wake up to, one who wants to just stay with her the whole day doing nothing yet having the time of her life. She has just met the slayer side you know. Kick ass and kill one. Well, it's not a surprise she is with that witch for now, but once she sees this side of me, things are going to change around here." Buffy told her sister with her new found confidence. "Come on now even I am not that naïve." Anya walked in voicing her opinion as always. Giles and Xander followed her. "I don't care what you say Anya, I love her." Buffy informed the ex-vengeance demon firmly. "Are you really sure about that Buffy? After all she is with someone else now, is it really worth hanging on to?" It was Giles who took his turn to sway Buffy's feeling. "I am sure Giles. I know she is with someone else, but if there was no pulling I wouldn't be hanging on." She replied and smiled not being able to keep her thoughts about waking up Faith out of her mind. "As for that little witch, well she just has to go, right guys." She looked around the room for support but was met with grim look. Anya moved to the counter and gulped down the coffee and looked disgusted as she spoke, "Oh! Ok I can't take it anymore. You can't love Faith Buffy because Faith has to die. She is too unstable to be a slayer and if she dies one of the potentials will be called whom we can make sure will fight on our side. So, there now kill your little orgasm fantasy and forget about Faith." Whole room was shocked with Anya's outburst which to Anya was a surprise because by now she thought these people must have been used to her directness. Buffy took a moment to take in her words and then looked at Giles for answers. "Look Buffy, this is the right thing. Faith was easily swayed by the Mayor and the First is greater evil than him. It'll use any means necessary to break our force and it is best for us to have stable key players. Especially power like a slayer's power should not be with someone we can't even trust." Giles finished satisfied that he convinced his charge. "I trust her Giles. I trust her with my life. Did anyone of you think that before you decided her fate?" She asked now taking turn to look at her so called friends and family. "We knew you would understand Buffy, after all you have always put being a slayer before everything. This being the ultimate fight you have to let go of your feelings." Xander explained. "No, Xander you are wrong. I don't care if this is the first fight or the last. I am in love with her. Does anyone in this room even care about the words I just said? Or I am just this slayer thing for you all to do your dirty work for?" She screamed with anger and agitation at her friend's thoughts. "Oh! Come on. You have always been slayer first; now that we've done something to help your fight, you all of a sudden become this chic in love. Well, grow out of it and get the slayer back." Anya raised her hand in irritation. "What do you mean by done something?" Buffy quickly caught Anya's slip of word. "Where is Faith?" She commanded at Giles. Even though Giles was a little scared with Buffy's reaction but he decided to stall her a little longer, "I am still a watcher Buffy and I know better. You might be all powerful but you still can learn things from me. Its time you concentrated on the battle and stop acting like a general but be one." Buffy knew what Giles was up to. "No, Giles I think I have learned everything I have to from you. I don't need a watcher, so why don't you tell me where Faith is so that I can leave you in a condition to be watcher to those who might need one." She stared at her former watcher ready to show her strength. "She is in the school's basement." Dawn screamed from behind scared to what her sister might do. Buffy walked straight towards the door when Xander stepped up, "You have to go through me." Buffy chuckled, "I don't mind." She said as she pushed Xander out of her way and stormed out.  
  
When Faith came to, she was still being beaten up by Kylub who was sharing a laugh with Buffy. She wondered why she was still alive and why she just didn't die before she had to watch Buffy amuse herself with the game of her death. Kylub picked her up like a piece of furniture and tossed her on the wall and she fell like she had no bones in her body. Buffy walked and scooted right next to her and glared at her bloodied face. "Does it hurt my poor little slayer?" She chuckled and brought her hand to brush Faith's hair, but her hands went right through her face. Faith opened her eyes wider as she now knew what was happening, "You are not Buffy. You are the First." She said aloud. The First, in the form of Buffy got up, "Opps the fun is over now. Kill her." She said as she disappeared and Kylub stood in front of Faith with a large piece of splinter in his hand. "You heard the lady." He said as he plunged it inside Faith.  
  
"This is weird." Paige made a face as her crystal landed on a spot in the map. "What is weird?" asked the older witch. "Both the slayers are in the high school." She replied still not believing her find. "The basement of the school is the opening for the hell mouth." Piper informed her sister as she pulled her up, "Come on hurry orb." She commanded as they simmered. Luckily Piper and Paige had orbed right on the opening of the hell mouth where Faith lied drenched in blood and Kylub was on top of her. As their body came to full composure the wall behind them fell and Buffy appeared from behind them. Before Piper could even think, Paige concentrated on the splinter inside Faith and called for it so that it appeared in her hands, covered with Faith's blood. Kylub turned around to face the three women who had come for rescue. "Lookie now, we have more company." He said as he got up. Buffy picked up heavy piece of metal from the rumble and flung it on the man dressed as pasture, "I'll take care of him, you take Faith to Leo" She screamed as she lunged at the man who was now on the floor. Piper and Paige ran to Faith's side and simmered as Faith watched Buffy thrashing the man who was laughing at her face just moments ago. Her heart warmed a little while her body went cold.  
  
"Wow! You are so good at this." Tara told the young Charmed One was demonstrating her levitating power. "So, tell me what were you destined for that you gave up." She asked Tara as she came down from air. "Its past Phoebe, let it go." Tara replied. Phoebe stopped Tara from walking away, now that they had spent some time she felt closer to the timid witch. "Come on you can tell me." She insisted. "Well, I was supposed to be a white-lighter. Or something like it. As I was born a witch with a white-lighter heart, you know that white-lighter's are chosen because of their pure heart. Anyway, I was supposed to be this witch with a white-lighter's heart so I had few more perks than a white-lighter but basically the same ball park work." She told Phoebe as she started to clean up the mess they had created while making the spell. "Why do you look down when you talk about it? Do you feel that guilty?" Phoebe asked. Tara looked up with a sad face. "I do. Sometimes I do feel very guilty." Phoebe walked behind Tara and hugged her new friend from behind, "Do you ever wish that if you could have it back? Would you take your powers back?" Tara closed her eyes and leaned back on Phoebe's arms and exhaled a long breath and said the words that she always thought would be wrong to say when she was with Willow, "Yes, I wish I could take it back." Just as the sentence finished, Phoebe felt a jolt of electricity from Tara's body that threw her back. When she got up Tara was lying on the floor unconscious.  
  
Willow stopped right inside her door and looked at the charming young woman in front of her. Even though she felt guilty, she could not deny that she had enjoyed the walk. She felt awkward now that the walk had ended and she didn't know what to say. She looked inside and then at her escort and said, "Here, this is me. My stop. My room." "Yes, and I should go." Kennedy said but made no attempt to move. Instead she walked closer to Willow. "But before I go I had to say something." She said as her face was only centimeters away from the witch. Willow closed her eyes as she barely managed to whisper, "What?" Kennedy did the same as she said, "This" and locked their lips. As soon as Willow felt the soft lips on hers, she welcomed the intimacy by parting her lips. When the kiss came to an end, Willow slowly opened her eyes and waited for Kennedy to do the same. Kennedy's eyes opened but wider like she was shocked not pleased, and her body flung to the other end of the room landing on the dresser.  
  
Buffy grabbed another huge rock and smashed it on Kylub's head. Buffy was not just a slayer but after she had witnessed the state Faith was in, she was a slayer with a vengeance that even Kylub's extraordinary strength could not defeat. Buffy could have easily ended his pain, but she wanted to see as much blood as she had witnessed on Faith's body. Her mind that usually betrayed her when she was on a kill was somehow with her today, every moment her mind was reminding her of Faith's face as the light had taken her. She walked to the other side and picked up the splinter that had once caused the life to spill from her love. She turned around just to be halted by what she saw. "You sure are full of rage B." Faith said as Buffy stared at her. Buffy didn't say a word as Faith stood there with a semi smile on her face as though everything was just a jest. Buffy smiled back at the image of Faith as she told the First, "You are not Faith." First as a Faith pouted, "You are no fun at all. I liked Me better." Buffy walked past the airy image of Faith as she took hold of unconscious Kylub and stabbed the splinter inside of him. As her hand repeated the action again and again the words that echoed in her head were of Giles'. "First only takes the form of the dead."  
  
"Wow! I admit I have never kissed more than one woman but I sure couldn't have been that bad." Willow said as she watched the young potential at the other end of the room. "I don't know what happened; I just got this jolt that threw me." Kennedy said as she got up and walked towards the red head. It was Willow who was staring with a shocked expression on her face as she walked towards Kennedy and then past her to the dresser where the potential had landed. The dresser was smashed to pieces. Kennedy looked at the dresser and whistled with amazement, "Damn! I never knew I was that strong." Willow didn't take her eyes off the dresser as she said in a solemn tone, "You are a slayer."  
  
As soon as Piper and Paige arrived at the manor, Piper screamed at the top of her voice, "Leo, Leo get your butt down here right now. Leo. Leo. Leo" Leo appeared and as soon as he saw the slayer on Paige's arm he knew the emergency. He knelt down on her side as he placed his hand on top of the brunette. Piper waited with all her patience as Leo slowly looked up at his ex-wife with tears on his eyes as he said, "Piper, you know I can't heal the dead." 


	9. How do you know Love? Part 9

When Buffy walked out of the abandoned high school, her hand drenched with mostly Kylub's blood but also of Faith's from the splinter. The noon sun was high up in the sky and the heat was almost blinding. But Buffy had another reason to have a fuzzy vision; it was the tears that hadn't stopped running since Giles' words had been echoing in her head. She closed her eyes and dashed in the almost abandoned city that she called home, where she was surrounded with friends and family that didn't leave her even in the face of ultimate evil but were more than willing to send Faith to the Hornet's nest. "Hey send me to the Hornet's nest if you want to B, I would willing go." Faith had told Buffy only couple of days ago and that's where she had ended up. Faith certainly knew that basement was the hell mouth and even Buffy wouldn't have gone there alone, but why had Faith gone there. She knew better than to fall for the lies that Giles must have fed her, yet she had gone and now, her image was formed by the First. How could First take her image? She couldn't be dead she told herself. She knew that, all she needed to do was pick up the phone and call the Halliwells to clear her doubt but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. It was almost like she was running away from finding out, scared of what the other end might say.  
  
She refused to think as her heart bled and her eyes just blurred everything. She didn't even know why she ended up in the Magic Box, but she did. She walked in and headed directly towards the cash counter unaware of Phoebe comforting Tara who was just recovering from her fall. The two witches were surprised to see their friend who looked worn down in everyway, throwing and emptying out the drawers. She was scavenging for something but she certainly didn't look like she was in the mood for company, yet it was Phoebe who dared to speak to the slayer.  
  
"Buffy what are you looking for?" She asked. "Giles keeps spare keys to the car in here." She answered surprised that she even had a reason for her search. "Where are you going?" Tara asked now moving towards the cash register trying to speed up Buffy's search. "To the Halliwell's. They have Faith." That's all she said as she smashed another drawer looking for the key. "Faith is in San Francisco?" Phoebe asked as a question not as a statement. The thought of Faith being in San Francisco reminded Tara of the meeting that she had left and made Willow promise to bring it to a halt. She feared the worse as she asked the distraught slayer, "Is Faith all right?" That was all that Buffy needed to let go of everything. She knelt down on the floor as uncontrollable tears started to drown her words but she had to get it out, "They sent her to the Hell mouth, all alone. I was too late. I was too late. The sisters took her to Leo. I need to be there. Please I need to find the key." Though the thought of Faith being injured did not go very well for Phoebe at that moment she cared more about the slayer in front of her who was close to breaking down with helplessness. She knelt beside her and lifted her up slowly, comforting her, "I'll call home and find out. Leo can heal everything so don't worry." As for Tara, Willows words were playing in her thought, "I promise you baby." She had said and kissed her. And yet she had let Giles send Faith to the Hell mouth. She didn't have a word to comfort Buffy but just walked to the two women who were now locked in a comforting hug and just touched them both.  
  
Leo tried to remove his hands from the top of the lying slayer but Piper didn't let him. "You can't give up Leo. You have to try. She can't die." She said not willing to let Leo tell her that her Faith was already gone. That was not possible. She had lost her sister and now she was loosing the only person who had managed to heal that wound. She would not let that happen, but then there was nothing she could do but just hold Leo's hands on top of her till that light thing he did started to work again. It had to work. Leo having his heart filled with love cried with his ex wife not being able to see her pain while Paige just hugged her sister from behind trying to loosen her grip on Leo's hand. But Piper didn't budge. She hated being helpless and above all she being helpless and letting the people she loved down. She just stared at lifeless faith lying beside her as the room turned bright and three women orbed into their living room. The shimmering light formed an image Piper let go of Leo's hand and raised her own hands to blast the intruder. Buffy felt Piper's blast inside trying to burst her from inside. It took every particle in her slayer body to fight not being blown to pieces by the witch's power. Seeing that her first hit was being absorbed, Piper was ready to repeat her action when Phoebe stepped in front and stopped her sister. "Get out of my way Phoebe. She is the reason Faith is dead." Piper ordered her sister as her eyes stared at the dumbfounded slayer. As soon as Buffy had heard Piper's words she had stepped back to the wall as her body had lost any will or strength to hold her weight. "Don't even dare to act distressed. The only reason she went there was because of you. It was you who walked in here and took her back to Sunnydale. She was happy here but no, you couldn't stand that. You and your friends always wanted her dead; and here you got it." Piper finished her rage just to end it with another loud sob as her heart couldn't even hold another emotion other than the loss. Paige and Phoebe took hold of her sister and took her to the couch. Leo moved towards Tara still stunned at what he had seen, "You orbed?" He asked. "Yes. I just wished that I hadn't given up my destiny and I felt it inside me." She explained but her eyes moved from his eyes to Faith's body. "She was already dead when I came. There was nothing I could do." Leo replied feeling responsible for the death in some ways. Tara walked slowly towards Faith, who now lay more peacefully than she had even seen her. She moved her hands on top of the body when suddenly she grabbed Leo's hands. "She has not crossed over yet." She managed to say before she pulled Leo down to scoot beside her as they both put their hands on top of the dead slayer. Buffy had known that Tara could sense souls when Faith had done a body switch with her years ago. Tara had also told her that she had lost that power when she gave up her destiny. But, now when she heard Tara speak those words a hope flickered in her heart and she moved closer to look at the glowing hands of the two white-lighters. Four women watched in anticipation as the light faded and Faith opened her eyes. Without wasting any moment, Piper rushed beside her lover and poured kisses on her face as Faith blinked several times to adjust to the light. Buffy watched from a little distance as Faith grinned at the witch who was not shy of expressing her happiness. "Easy there Perfect." Faith said trying to catch a breath between Piper's butterfly kisses. "Yeah, let her catch her breath Piper." Phoebe suggested from behind. "She is physically healed but seems like her body took in quite a lot of beating so she might feel exhausted." Leo said trying to explain the weariness in Faith's face. Piper finally paused and looked at Faith whose eyes were already almost closed. She smiled and just held her close to her heart, soothing her back with her hand. Every cell in Buffy's being wanted to jump and hold Faith, but she didn't want to intrude. After all, Piper had been right, Faith had been happy there before she had come to take her away. She looked down unable to watch them, just as Faith opened her eyes just a slit to look at her standing away but obviously like a person who had cried for hours for her. Faith smiled at the sight of Buffy before she gave into her tiredness and let herself drift into the world of dreams. Piper waited for several minutes before she slowly put Faith's head down on the floor and looked up at Leo for help. Rather Buffy stepped up and looked at Piper for permission. Under any other circumstance Piper would have never taken help from Buffy, but right then she knew that regardless of what had happened one of the reason Faith was alive was also because of Buffy. So, she stepped aside allowing Buffy to carry Faith in her arms as she led them to her bedroom. Tara and Leo looked up simultaneously and looked back at the remaining sisters. "We have to go. They are calling us." Leo said. "Wait a minute, even you can go up there?" Paige asked Tara. "My destiny was to be a white-lighter. Now that I have accepted it, yes I have to answer to them." Tara said as she simmered into thin air after Leo.  
  
Buffy sat on the steps of the Halliwell manor watching the people and cars pass by. After she and Piper had put Faith to bed, she had cleaned herself up and found peace outside the manor. All sort of thoughts were going inside her head. More than anything she wanted to be angry at her friends but somehow she had already forgiven them. It wasn't their fault as she had reasoned with herself. They were normal people faced with the impossible; they were just trying their best to save their own skin. After all, that's how the world worked. All her life that's what she had fulfilled. She had even given her life so that the world was a safer place, so for them to sacrifice Faith was not a surprise to her. "We face the worst and the world just walks on, unaware and happy." Piper said breaking the slayer from her thoughts. "Is that what you were thinking?" Piper asked. "Along the same line." Buffy replied. Piper walked up to her and sat right beside her. "When we lost Prue I was so mad at my fate that I had even started summoning demons just to vanquish them. After all, the more I vanquished them the closer I was towards getting rid of my destiny, that's what I had thought." She said staring right ahead. "And it never works. It never ends." Buffy ended Pipers thoughts grimly. "Yep. It never ends. And it never is easy. Especially when we come close to loosing someone we love." Piper looked at Buffy with comforting warmth. Buffy turned to look at Piper with a new found admiration for this woman who had actually come out to comfort her. "I know you love her and you have had to make very tough decisions. But, things are different now. She knew about the basement, yet she went there alone." "You don't have to convince me. I trust her. But I don't know if she should trust me. You were right you know, she was happy here before I came in." Buffy confessed and before Piper could protest, continued, "No, Piper before you say anything. This is the best. She doesn't need to come to Sunnydale. Tara told me that Kennedy has already been called, so I guess Giles did get what he was looking for. We'll make sure the world doesn't end as long as you promise me that you'll keep her happy." Buffy stood up but Piper didn't agree, "Neither Faith or I are bystanders." "Let this be my fight too, please." Buffy requested as she opened the door. "Do you really think even now that it is your choice?" Piper asked halting the slayer. Piper didn't even look back, she just stared into the horizon as she continued, "It's not your choice Buffy and that's the mistake you always made. Its Faith's choice to make and even now you want to take that away from her. No, wonder she runs from you." "What would you do?" Buffy found herself asking automatically. "I am just waiting for her to wake up." Piper smiled. "Well, I don't have the luxury to wait." Buffy was a little agitated. "Well, its not luxury that should govern us. It should be the necessity. It's funny when I walked into Faith's apartment for the first time. All she had was a bed and a punching bag. When I asked her why so little, she said she had the necessities. I filled it up later on you know. Decorated it. But the bottom line is Faith only seeks necessities and for you Faith is a luxury." Piper finished her sentence with tears in her eyes. "I wasn't there, and you managed to fill it up." Buffy said as she walked in looking for Paige. She knew Piper was right, it wasn't her choice to make, but Faith was happier before she walked in and she was not going to take that away from her, not again. "But you were there. That's why the punching bag was there." Piper whispered to herself as she wiped her tears and thought about the solo bag hanging on the end of the room; at the end of Faith's home, a necessity.  
  
Piper stayed for a good hour on the same spot before she walked inside and went to her bedroom to check up on Faith. She was surprised to find the bed empty. She followed her instinct and stood in front of the bathroom and tried the door which was unlocked.  
  
"Look who is up." She said as she pulled the shower curtain and smiled at the naked brunette. "Don't you knock?" Faith asked as she smiled at her witch. "Are you shy?" asked the witch instead. "No!" Faith said as she pulled the fully clothed Piper into the shower with her. "What's on your mind?" Piper asked breaking away from a kiss. "Well, back from the dead, just need to remind myself to be alive." Faith replied pulling Piper into another kiss. This time Piper obliged without holding anything back.  
  
As her soaked clothes found their way out of the shower, the two lovers who nearly lost each other engulfed one another, bringing to life every cell in their intertwined bodies with their passion and uncontrollable hunger. Their rhythmic motion and each touch fused them together and brought them to the height of their pleasure in unison as they both healed each other's pain and wounds with their heat. Climaxes put both the women, whose day had started with wounds on their hearts, laid on each other's arms as they drifted to sleep.  
  
Piper could still feel Faith's kiss on her lips as she slowly opened her eyes to look at her beauty beside her. To her surprise the side of her bed was empty. She got up and looked around her room. Faith's clothes were gone too. She stared blankly at her own image on her mirror, half wrapped up in the blanket all alone in her bed.  
  
Faith had gone. Faith had gone to Buffy. 


	10. How do you know Love? Part 10

Willow was surprised at the urgency Giles had shown to start training Kennedy after he found out that she was the one who was called. May be he was scared that even Buffy wouldn't come back, especially after the exchange they had in the kitchen before she had left. Or he was desperate to believe that what he had done was the right thing. He was driving Kennedy like machine while she took it enthusiastically. Kennedy had been the kind of person who had always got what she wanted. Being born in a rich family does that to people. To top that she had a drive for not wanting to loose, so when her watcher was killed and she had found herself in a fight where she was not more than a bystander it had driven her crazy. Though she disapproved with the means Giles had used so that she was called, she didn't wish to let the opportunity go by. Whether or not Buffy came back, she had a fight to win and she planned to get ready for that.  
  
The news had reached that Faith was alive which brought a sigh of relief to Xander, Willow and Dawn, who had been holding their breath waiting for Buffy to go wacky on them. Giles was relieved to hear the news too, but he tried to act as though it didn't matter by just stating, "Well, the more the merrier. I suppose."  
  
When the evening was drawing nearer Giles had started to prepare the weapon bag for Kennedy's first patrol while Kennedy still practiced in the backyard. Willow made herself tea and watched the young slayer from the window above the sink. Her body looked so amazingly comfortable with her new found strength and she still moved with a grace of a dancer even while practicing fighting techniques. She had always admired that about slayers, whether it was Buffy or even Faith. But now to watch this young woman doing the same, made her more excited, in ways she didn't want to be.  
  
She sipped on her tea as she tried to think of Tara instead. Trying to think about Tara only reminded her of the conversation they had on the phone earlier when Tara was definitely angry with her about breaking the promise. She couldn't understand why Tara would be so upset about it, after all it was just a stupid promise and now that Faith was alive there was no harm done. Of course Willow didn't allow herself to think that if Faith wasn't alive, because thinking that meant that she had to admit her fault and she liked denying more than admitting; just like she had done with her magic addiction, which she finally had gotten rid of. But to Willow it wasn't about admitting what she had done wrong, it was all about how she could compete. It was about how her love would never be good enough for someone who gave up her destiny for her. How could she ever forgive herself for that?  
  
It was only recently that Willow had come to know that Tara had given up her destiny for her. Something that Tara had felt would have made them come closer but it had only put a distance between them. At first the wicca had tried to do her best to understand, but ultimately it was just about the fact that Tara was willing to make one of the most important decisions in their life without consulting Willow even once. Regardless of where her destiny would have taken them, Willow felt that she should have had a say in it, especially if the sacrifice was to be made for her.  
  
Tara did tell her that she had accepted her destiny, how that had happened Willow didn't know, but she was happier now than she had been in days. She felt like a huge burden was lifted from her, like she felt guilty that Tara was not what she was supposed to be, because of her. But now she didn't understand where their relationship stood, at that moment Tara certainly couldn't come there. Being the white-lighter Tara was blocked from the range of the hell mouth. She also had gone with Phoebe, who Willow could tell had some ulterior interest in Tara, which she certainly didn't like. Of course she should not be the one to complain as just a few hours ago she was joining lips with the slayer outside. But like Kennedy had said that was just a moment and she was still in love with Tara or that's what she thought.  
  
"So that is Kennedy." Buffy said from behind as she walked in to join her wican friend. "Oh! Buffy you are back." Willow said a little surprised and little scared. "Yeah. I hopped a ride with Paige. When Tara told me Kennedy was called. I knew the name but I couldn't put a face to it. There are so many girls in this house its hard to tell who is who you know. But now that I see her I think Giles hit a jackpot this time around, she is exactly what he wanted." Buffy finished her thought while Willow just nodded in affirmation. "So what's Mr. Watcher's plan for the little girl?" Buffy asked sarcastically. "Oh! I think he is sending her for patrol, as we were not sure if you would come back." Willow replied then realized what she just said and added, "I mean come back today." "Why, he is not sending her to the opening of the hell mouth to see if she can defeat the First? And if she can't we will certainly have another." Buffy couldn't refrain herself from making that remark. "That is not what it was about Buffy." It was Giles who spoke as he entered the very room where just this morning he was almost shred to pieces by his charge. "Spare me your reasoning Giles. You can play God with any of these girls out here, and they might even believe that you have a reason or wisdom to do so. But I have been fighting this fight for too long so leave Faith and me out of this game. You got your slayer; you do your fight. I never needed potentials to fight my fight before and I still don't need it now." Buffy blasted at her former watcher. "Together we are stronger." Giles put it grimly. "Surely that thought didn't cross your mind when you sent Faith to the First this morning." Buffy replied. "But she is alive, Buffy." Willow tried to make Buffy feel better by the reminder. "But she wasn't meant to be." Buffy retorted. "One bad apple rots all." Giles certainly believed that he was not wrong. "How did you figure that she was the bad apple? She had changed and ." "Yes, she had. And so had you." Giles interrupted Buffy's sentence. "Ever since she came back the focus of you and Piper had been nothing but Faith. Regardless of how you two felt about her the most important agenda was to be the First but no, the most important things for you all was bickering over Faiths love. When did Buffy Summers start to care more about one person than about the world?" "Maybe since she fell in love." Buffy answer was nothing more than a whisper. "Or may be since she can't believe that she was rejected by someone she loved." Giles added. Buffy shot a look at Giles at his statement. "Love is not a fight and you were making it one. The only fight we have here is the fight to save the world. You had to learn your lesson." "At Faith's expense." Buffy asked. "I sent her right after dawn when I knew you would be back. I was counting on you to save her and not the witches. I thought a fight together would help you both resolve your issues. The only regret I have is that the witches did intervene and maybe you didn't get your answers. But I hope that you would move past your hurt ego and try and concentrate on what is important here. Seeing that you came back without her I don't know if the issue is resolved but I know that you have come back as the Buffy for whom the fight was above all love." Giles didn't take his eyes off Buffy the entire time. "You mean you got your slayer back." "Slayer is what you are." "But is that all I am?" "No, but right now slayer is what we need. Necessity is above all causes." "And love is not a necessity?" "Is it for you?" Buffy didn't have an answer, because the question that was staring at her face was if she needed Faith not just wanted Faith. She didn't have an answer because even though she could easily process feelings like the hurt and anger, she was not able to process love. She smirked at herself once again as Faith's words rang in her mind, "You don't know love."  
  
Tara had made more than one trip to the elders since she had healed Faith. The first trip certainly was about her acceptance of her powers but others were mostly about the hell mouth. Even though Buffy and Faith were too tangled up in their feelings to notice, the First was coming closer and closer to fulfill his intentions as the days went by. It was imperative that someone pushed the slayers and the Charmed Ones to work faster. That is why Tara had calls out to anyone who had any information that could help. It was 10pm and Phoebe was sitting on the couch with the Book of Shadows on her lap and packet of chips on her hands when Paige orbed back after dropping Faith off. "Oh! Piper is so going to yell at you for dropping the crumbs on the Book of Shadows." Paige said as she snuggled next to her sister and shared the innocent sin. "Only after she yells at you for letting Faith go to Sunnydale without her knowledge." Phoebe replied trying to scare her little sister of her elder sister's wrath. "Oh! Don't try to scare me. You know I tried to stop her. And you are my proof of that." Paige said as she munched on the chips and opened her eyes wide at the page that Phoebe was reading on the Book of Shadows. "Anyway, I don't think when Tara said do some research while she was gone; she meant do some research on her. Let's see you are reading on witches/white-lighters. Ummm. Must be interesting." Paige tried to pull the book from Phoebe but her sister kept a firm hold on the book with both her hands and even some of her upper body weight. "Ohhhh! Paige, I was just curious." "Curious about the woman who has a girlfriend?" Paige seriously questioned her sister's motives. Before Phoebe could come up with an excuse, Tara orbed in their living room and Phoebe shut the book as soon as she could. "Oooo! The crumbs." Paige muttered and looked at Tara. "I might have something. But we have to work fast. It has to be done tonight, or else we might be too late." Tara said grimly not even bothering to notice the school girl look Phoebe was giving her. "Who said something about being too late? What are we too late for people?" Piper said walking down the stairs. "I was called by a tantrik in the Himalayan region. He has a solution but we have very little time to come up with a potion and a spell. The First is already getting too strong. There are no demon or evil in the streets any more. They are all allied with him." Tara finished her sentence, sounding more and more like a white-lighter than the timid little witch that the sisters had met only little over a month ago. "Ok people you heard the lady. Phoebe, Tara the Book of Shadows, Paige with me, kitchen we have a potion to brew." Piper ordered and started to stride towards the kitchen. "You ok?" Paige asked her eldest sibling as soon as she reached the kitchen. Piper had always been all about just getting the work done in the beginning which she had reasoned was because of Prue's loss but she had calmed down later on and now again seeing her sister take the same stride made her wonder if she had done the right thing by giving in to Faith's request. "I am fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Piper replied trying to be unaffected and started to get the ingredients and just throwing them in the pot. "Ok. Just make sure you don't blow the placeup." Paige said stopping her sister from brewing something toxic.  
  
"What are you doing here?" was the first thing Buffy asked when she saw Faith sitting on the same gravestone where she had sat and waited for her months ago.  
  
When Faith had woke up in Piper's arms the sun had already set so she had asked Paige to orb her directly to that particular graveyard because she knew that Buffy would come there.  
  
"I came here for you." She replied to the question that Buffy had started their conversation with even on the night months ago when she had come for and waited especially for her on that very spot.  
  
Buffy chuckled at the answer that she had hoped Faith would have given her the first time they stood on those grounds but now there were too many things that had happened for that sentence to bring a smile. "You shouldn't have come." Buffy told Faith grimly, "It's not safe for you here."  
  
"Yeah, B. I fight monsters and vampires and I should stay away because of an old man, a half wit witch, trembling excuse of a man, an ex-demon and a teenager. You really think they scare me?" Faith said as she joined Buffy who had started to walk. "Regardless they managed to kill you." Buffy said stopping and looking at Faith. "Yeah and I came back. I guess that's another thing we have in common." Faith smiled trying to get Buffy to smile a little. "Are we that alike?" Buffy just asked. "No, B we ain't nothing alike." Faith was now as serious as Buffy was. "Yes, we are. We both have lost everything because of the slayer thing that we have to continue. We have died and come back and still we are prowling around cemetarys in the middle of the night trying save the people for whom we are nothing but a machine to keep them safe." Buffy told Faith and continued before Faith could say anything. "I remember this scared girl who had come running here after her watcher was killed. You were so lost; I could see the pain in your eyes even though you acted as though you were all cool about it. Everyone just heard your stories of killing demon in the nude and all; while I saw you pound on one vampire over and over to make up for the hurt in your heart. Its no wonder you were so easily lured by the Mayor, slayering had given you nothing but pain." Buffy concluded. "It had given me you B." Faith admitted looking down. "If you had seen the pain, if you had understood, why was I still alone B? Why did I have to find Mayor to find a little love that you so easily claim you have for me today?" Faith asked what she had meant to ask months ago. "Because we are alike. If you had lost your watcher when you came in, I had just come back after stabbing Angel. The spell Willow did on Angel had worked. He had got his soul back. I could see it in his eyes. I was looking at the eyes that loved me as much as I loved him when I put the stake through his heart. I was so scared of falling in love after that, that I fought it the only way I could do that was by trying to get rid of you. When you were with the Mayor I just laughed at my fate for bringing me to the same road that I had tried to avoid. On the same spot, looking at the eyes that loved me as much as I loved them, but this time I made it a point to miss." She turned Faith to look at her and took her hand and touched the spot where she had stabbed her. "But I know what I have become in the process. So, it is no surprise that it's ok for you to make love to me all night and walk out the next morning with no words, its certainly ok for Giles and Scoobies to assume that I would just sit and watch as they plotted to kill you. It's ok." Faith put a finger on Buffy's lips which were now soaked with her tears. "No, B it's not ok. B listen don't think about things too much and make them complicated. I took myself to the Mayor just like I kept me in the prison when I could have easily escaped. It had nothing to do with you. Won't say it didn't hurt not having your by my side but hell B it was all my doing. I am done blaming you and especially blaming you for my expectations of you. It was wrong of me to walk out on you that morning and I admit it now. I should have stayed and talked things through with you, rather than so long. Things wouldn't have been this difficult if I had done it then, but while you stay and see things through, I am just so used to running. That's why I came back; I don't want to run no more. And you can't blame the Scoobies, they just knew you B, they knew you would see the bigger picture. And please don't blame yourself for what they thought of you, regardless of where that came from, you were there to save me, and I saw you when I came back so that's all that matters now." When Faith had finished talking, Buffy held Faith hands on hers and kissed them. She looked up into the dark eyes as they lowered on her lips. Just as their lips had united for a connection they both had waited so long for, Buffy's phone rang. Faith pulled right away. "Darn it." Buffy said as she flipped the phone open and screamed at the caller, "What is it?" Her loose grip on Faith stiffened as she listened to the other end and after few seconds closed it. "The sisters have come up with plan. We have to go to the house, right now."  
  
Willow had just hung up the phone with Tara discussing the details about the ritual when Kennedy walked in with Giles. "What's the plan?" Giles asked looking at the four witches. "We need Buffy and Faith to return." Willow answered for them all. "Yeah, we need Buffy and FAITH. FAITH too, for some people who think she is dispensable." Phoebe aimed her remark at Giles whose reaction was to adjust his glasses.  
  
Before the room got heated with any more uneasiness between the unwilling allies; Buffy walked in with Faith behind her. "Ok People! Let's not waste time." Piper said getting up from the couch and holding the knife. "What is that for?" Buffy asked unsure of Piper's intention. "For blood, we need all the slayers' and potentials' blood mixed together for the spell to work." Willow explained. Faith tried to walk towards Piper but Piper just avoided her, walked towards the first potential, cut her hand to get some drops of blood on the bowl she was holding. Faith was surprised by Piper's aloofness while Piper felt she had a legitimate reason. As the sisters collected the blood, Willow took it upon herself to explain, "A tantrik told Tara that the reason why the First has been able to rise above ground to get an army together is because the balance of good and evil was broken when Buffy was brought back to life. Now, as he is raising the demons finding the loop hole that we created. Now we can use it to call all the potentials as slayers so that we can have our own army. Though this might balance the forces, it doesn't guarantee a win." "It has to be a battle; a hands on battle." Buffy completed Willow's explanation and looked at Faith who was already looking at her. Piper was only steps away watching the two slayers nod in unison like they knew each other's thought. Piper looked away wondering how she had even believed she could come between such a strong connections. After the blood drive was done or sort of, the witches threw their potion into the bowl and with Willow they all recited together, "Blood of the dead, and blood of alive Let them come together, and let them Thrive From now, till the evil gone Strength that hides, let is be found Each one that can be, let it be For Slayers We proclaim all of thee."  
  
They all looked around the room for the girls who now shown with new found confidence and strength. "This is temporary though; once the First is destroyed the potentials that got the power by our magic will loose it, so that the balance can be maintained." Paige warned the girls who looked like they we were kids in a candy store. Giles looked around wanting to say something but he knew that words were not needed. This was the army he had hoped to form. He just merely looked towards the door as he watched Kennedy lead the girls to the battle they all came to fight. The sisters followed and Faith found herself walking with the Scoobies. 


	11. How do you know Love? Part 11

After only covering few steps from the house Faith jogged to stop Piper. "Piper listen." She said holding her hand. "You don't have to say anything Faith, I understand. Love is not about what you want; it's about what the person you love want. As long as you are happy, I am happy." Piper told Faith trying to smile over swallowing her tears. "When Buffy asked what I would do? I had told her that I would wait for you to wake up. When you woke up, you were gone. So, I got your answer." Piper finished and pulled her hand from Faith and ran towards her sisters who hugged her as they continued their march to the high school. Faith was in disbelief as she watched Piper go. Even though she was couldn't believe what she heard from the Charmed One and the fact that she didn't get a chance to tell her side. Yet she smiled for she had heard the words that she needed to hear to feel the want to live and want to survive the fiasco they were about to face.  
  
"So, how are you dealing with Tara not being here?" Buffy asked her best friend. "I am fine." Willow replied briefly. "Now that she accepted her destiny, how are things between you two?" She asked again. "It can only be better, you know." Willow tried to convince Buffy and herself. "How is that?" Buffy didn't believe her friend. "Well you see when she told me about her giving up her destiny it was like she had just become so big. Big as in sun big. I am just the earth you know. She was all shiny and giving the earth all life and everything and the earth was so sad so far from the sun and so small it was just so bad." Willow was searching for another analogy when Buffy stopped and just stared at her friend. "I am not making any sense am I?" Willow asked. "You make some sense Willow. You are trying to say that you were not comfortable with Tara giving up her destiny for you." Buffy told her friend. "Well, exactly. But I would be if she was. But I could feel that she wasn't and that made me feel worse and that just brought this huge wall, this unseen huge I mean big, big as in..." "I get it. It made a rift in your relationship. Now continue." Buffy once again stopped her friend from providing another analogy. "Well yes that's what I meant. Anyway, so I was in a bad place and I kissed Kennedy and I broke a promise and she took her destiny back so I am happy." She ended her thoughts. "Wait a minute you kissed Kennedy?" Buffy had stopped hearing after that little confession. "Yes, but Tara took her destiny back." Willow tried to drift Buffy's thought. "How does that make it the same? I mean taking destiny back is not betraying you, kissing someone else is betraying her. What was that about Willow?" Buffy asked dishing Willows attempt to justify her action. "It is the same because I love her." Willow said solemnly. "Love always is about the person you are in love with, it's not about yourself. I love her Buffy, and giving up her destiny didn't make her happy. She always felt guilty making me a culprit in some ways. I had to let her heart loose for a moment so that she could take the step to her happiness. So Kennedy was just a moment. Do I make sense?" She asked her friend who was spellbound. "Yes, you do Willow. You make perfect sense." Buffy said as she hugged her best friend as she watched Faith smile with her eyes closed. Buffy was ready to face love for the first time in her life.  
  
The battle certainly was like none that Buffy or Faith had ever fought. If they had walked in with an army of girls, what awaited them was certainly an army evil of every kind. To both the older slayers surprise the potentials fought with not only strength but also with a rage that each one had savored for the evil. Piper quickly climbed a small cliff and froze any creature that was not immune to her powers while the potentials, Scoobies and two slayers killed them. Willow and Phoebe found themselves holding hands and enchanting protection spell for Paige who started to orb the wounded to Leo and bringing them back. So, the war was certainly happening.  
  
After her third trip back from Leo, Faith saw a familiar vampire being marooned by a bunch of orgs. She immediately jumped on them and saved the vampire few punches. "Spike, you ok?" Faith asked and continued to dust more vampires. "Nice jewelry." She added looking at a locket dangling from his neck. "It's not a bloody jewelry. Angel gave it to me, told me to hurry and get back here." He screamed his annoyance at being teased. "So what does your love charm do?" It was Buffy who had asked this time. "Suppose to save the world." He yelled back. "But we had no time to translate how this thing works. He just told get here and now I know why." "Well, partner can you see Red?" Faith asked saving one of the potential from being bitten. "She is behind you. Get there and let the witches help you." She finished. It took Spike a little time but he did make it near the protective circle that Willow and Phoebe had made. "Hey! Need help with translation of this stuff." He said as he pushed few of the dwarf size demons out of the way. Recognizing the writing on the amulet, Willow suddenly let go of Phoebe's hand breaking the protection spell. Thankfully Piper was looking right at them so she froze the demons around them. But the more they killed the more powerful demons emerged who either didn't freeze or they froze only for a short time, but her blowing power was still working well on most of them. "Uhhhh! It says something like, merging undead, unusual and some line. It doesn't make sense." Willow said trying to take the amulet out of Spike's neck but instead was thrown aback with a strong jolt. Just then Paige appeared with newly healed Kennedy. Immediately Paige's eyes were on the demon that was now attacking Spike, "Oh! My god! Is that who I think it is?" She asked no one in particular but both her sisters were as spell bound as she was. Kennedy on the other hand didn't waste time staring, she sprung to Spike's aid and as the demon held the amulet, to stop him from taking it, she held his hand instead. Before the three even blinked the amulet melted their skin with heat and light started to emit from all the three bodies. "Run!!!!" Spike managed to speak before his strength gave in and he along with the other two was on the floor on their knees spraying rays that was killing anyone in its path and crumbling the whole earth around them. Paige grabbed her sisters with Willow and orbed them outside the school where they waited for the survivors to come out. "There is the bus, load everyone in it and get cross the city line before it crumbles under our feet." Screamed Giles at everyone as he rushed to get the bus. "Not till Faith is out." Piper said. "And Buffy." Willow added. "Guys you all leave. I'll wait for them to come out." Paige volunteered and sent her sisters with rest of the survivors to safety.  
  
In the bus, Piper approached her little sister who was lost in her own thoughts, "You ok?" She asked. "I am fine. It hurts to see Cole again but I guess it makes sense right. He was undead, Spike was the vampire with a sole, something certainly unusual and Kennedy was the one who was actually the continuing the line of the slayers. So, they had to merge." She told her sister. "Yes, but seeing Cole again. Are you ok with that?" "No, you mean seeing Cole die again. If I am ok with it? No, I am not. But I lived through it once and I can live through this again." She replied grimly. Piper hugged her sister whose heartache was once again opened.  
  
The bus stopped just across the border of the city that was now crumbling inside the earth. While everyone came out Phoebe and Piper stayed inside hugging each other. Though both were crying for different reasons, but at that moment as the sun rose for a new day, their heartache felt the same and found relief in each others arms.  
  
Just as the visual of Sunnydale as a town disappeared, Paige appeared with the two slayers. Buffy and Faith were both drawn by the emptiness in front of them and joined the group who was mesmerized by the view; while Paige went to join her sisters and orbed them back home immediately.  
  
"I guess they weren't kidding when they said the town was center point huh." Faith said whistling at the sight. "Nope they sure weren't kidding." Buffy just agreed. Faith looked at Buffy, "B listen, I think when I came back I was misunderstood." She started, but Buffy interrupted, "I know, you are in love with Piper." Buffy didn't dare look at Faith, even though she had promised herself that she would not make that moment any more difficult for Faith as it already was. "I carried your scar for too long B. But when I woke up in Perfect's arms, the scar that the slayer strength couldn't heal was healed by the whitelighters. But I had to make sure that scar was gone from inside too, otherwise it would never have been fair to Perfect." Even though her heart did belong to Piper, it still hurt Faith to see Buffy in pain. She just looked down not able to see Buffy trying to avoid her eyes. Buffy turned to look at Faith and was finally able to say, "Faith, go home."  
  
As soon as Piper had reached the manor she had ran to the attic and closed the door. She put six candles on a circle and softly spoke the spell she had used many a time for but not for this reason. "Hear these words Hear my cry Spirits of the other side Come to me I summon thee Cross now the great divide." A vapory shadow now looked at her as she knelt on the floor and just cried. "Why? Why did you have to die?" She yelled at the spirit. "I just had to Piper. But that's not the reason why you called me." Prue said from the circle unable to hug her sister who seemed to be in so much pain. "I need you. I need you not to be dead." Piper screamed again. "I am here." Prue said softly and let her sister cry. "She is the only one..." Piper started but her words just disappeared with her tears. "I know Piper you don't have to say anything." Prue told her sister.  
  
"Here we are. The Halliwell manor. Do you want me to come inside with you?" Tara asked Faith in porch of the Halliwells. Faith simply nodded and Tara disappeared.  
  
Before she could ring the bell she heard Piper's voice in the attic, thanks to the slayer hearing. Instead of going through the sisters, she decided to just climb up the wall and first talk to Piper. When she entered the attic she was taken aback by the sight. Her first instinct was that Piper was attacked as she on the floor crying while the ghost was trying to get out of the circle. "Touch her and I'll make your transparent ass sorry." Faith told the woman in smoke. Prue turned around at a woman who was posing in an attack position. She just smiled in ridicules of Faith's thought, "Leather pants, cocky attitude and always ready to attack. Let me guess, Faith." "It's good to know I am famous." Faith replied but did not relax. "Faith what are you doing here?" Piper was finally able to ask. "I promised you I would be back didn't I?" Seeing that Piper was unhurt Faith walked towards her love. "World is saved, where would I go but home." Faith put her thoughts simply as she wiped Piper's tears and sealed her words with their lips. Faith took Piper's hand and slowly guided in to her lower stomach. She broke the kiss just for a second and looked down, "It's gone. All of it. No scars." Piper's eyes once again filled with tears but this time it was for different reason. She kissed her and yes her Faith once again and paused to look at her sister who hadn't still disappeared. "What are you looking at? Now go." She told Prue who was about to protest but decided just to vanish for now and get the scoop later.  
  
(Three months later in the Bronze)  
  
"Can you imagine the government builds this whole city back and the first thing they open up is the Bronze?" Buffy screamed over the music to her red headed friend. "Well, entertainment is more important." Willow provided a lame excuse as she handed Buffy her drink. "So, where is Tara?" Buffy sipped on her drink and looked at the floor. "She is in Russia with her new charge. But, she is coming for your birthday next week." She replied and lost in the music that was drowning the building. "Wow! Hot sexy female near the bar corner." Buffy stated. "Oh! No! Buffy that is the FBI agent that is snooping around about the whole city being swallowed up. I think her name is Scully." Willow tried to warn her friend but it was too late. "Well may be Agent Scully might want to interview me." Buffy said as she made her way towards the bar.  
  
"Ok here this is good. She'll like it." Faith said holding a teddy bear in front of her face. "Faith please we are looking for something thoughtful not playful here. Come on stop fooling around and pick something meaningful for Buffy before you make me want to beat you." Piper said between her teeth trying to control her irritation at her sweetheart's playful nature. "Is that a promise?" Faith grinned and Piper couldn't help but smile at the suggestion. "Yes, it is as soon as you find something good." This time Faith had a reason to oblige.  
  
THE END 


End file.
